Dear bpolleti: In the very first page of Herron site of the model you own you can read this:
""" "The Herron VTPH-2 gives listeners all the benefits of a tube unit with few of the failings and a text-book technical performance to boot. It offers a level of vacuum-tube engineering (carefully combined with solid-state circuitry) that's rare at any price, unheard of at this one."
- Roy Gregory hifi+ issue 58 """
the input gain stage ( where the cartridge signal is " touched " for the very first time in the Herron. ) is a FET ( SS ) gain cicuit and from there amplified signal goes to all the tubes on the Herron design.
In that same Herron site page you can read this:
""" Tube complement(2 x 12AX7, 3 x 12AT7) - most popular, or
(4 x 12AX7, 1 x 12AT7)Gain MC Mode(2 X 12AX7, 3 X 12AT7) 64 dB
(4 X 12AX7, 1 X 12AT7) 69 dBGain MM Mode(2 X 12AX7, 3 X 12AT7) 43 dB
(4 X 12AX7, 1 X 12AT7) 48 dB """
Enough.
Regards and enjoy the music,
R.
""" "The Herron VTPH-2 gives listeners all the benefits of a tube unit with few of the failings and a text-book technical performance to boot. It offers a level of vacuum-tube engineering (carefully combined with solid-state circuitry) that's rare at any price, unheard of at this one."
- Roy Gregory hifi+ issue 58 """
the input gain stage ( where the cartridge signal is " touched " for the very first time in the Herron. ) is a FET ( SS ) gain cicuit and from there amplified signal goes to all the tubes on the Herron design.
In that same Herron site page you can read this:
""" Tube complement(2 x 12AX7, 3 x 12AT7) - most popular, or
(4 x 12AX7, 1 x 12AT7)Gain MC Mode(2 X 12AX7, 3 X 12AT7) 64 dB
(4 X 12AX7, 1 X 12AT7) 69 dBGain MM Mode(2 X 12AX7, 3 X 12AT7) 43 dB
(4 X 12AX7, 1 X 12AT7) 48 dB """
Enough.
Regards and enjoy the music,
R.