ModWright PH 9.0 Tube Phono Stage

Getting the most from a cartridge means matching it properly, and most phono stages make that a chore: DIP switches inside the case, guesswork, and the lid off again every time you change cartridges. The PH 9.0 puts loading and gain on the front panel, adjustable while the record plays, so you can hear each change in real time and dial your cartridge in by ear.

It's also ModWright's best-selling phono stage, built on the circuit of Dan Wright's reference PH 150 and designed to grow. Start with the PH 9.0, and step up to the 9.0X and 9.0XT whenever you're ready.

The PH 150's circuit, in steps you choose.

The Design

Each channel uses a 6C45 triode and a 6922 dual triode. ModWright chose both for their gain and low noise, which lets the PH 9.0 deliver plenty of amplification for low-output moving coil cartridges while staying remarkably quiet. Power comes from an outboard supply on a six-foot umbilical, so you can place it well away from the sensitive phono circuit.

Gain reaches 64dB for moving coil and 52dB for moving magnet, with a front-panel toggle that trims it by 6dB or 12dB. Six moving coil loads, from 10 to 470 ohms, sit on a front-panel knob. Moving magnet runs at the standard 47K. The input selector moves between MM and MC with a mute position on each side of the switch, so changes stay silent. A rear-panel mono switch makes mono records play the way they were cut, even with a stereo cartridge.

Three Versions, One Path

The PH 9.0 comes in three versions, and each step brings it closer to the PH 150.

PH 9.0

The foundation: the full tube circuit, front-panel controls, RCA outputs, and a solid-state outboard power supply. If your preamp has balanced inputs, the PH 9.0 can be ordered with an XLR option that adds a pair of 1:1 Edcor transformers to provide fully balanced outputs, while the RCA outputs keep their direct path.

PH 9.0X

The X upgrade goes further, redesigning the output stage around the one from the PH 150. A pair of Lundahl gapped output transformers takes the place of the output chokes and coupling capacitors, so the signal passes through fewer parts. The transformers also add 6dB of gain (70dB MC, 58dB MM), give the PH 9.0X fully balanced XLR outputs alongside the RCA outputs, and lower the output impedance enough to drive any preamp with ease. ModWright says the X brings better bass, more weight and authority, more resolution and detail, and a larger soundstage.

PH 9.0XT

The XT adds the T upgrade to the 9.0X: a tube-rectified power supply using a 5AR4 rectifier, plus the high-voltage pre-regulator from the PH 150's supply. ModWright says the T brings a bigger, broader soundstage, more body, and a more holographic presentation.

Here's the smart part: ModWright prices the X and T upgrades the same whether you order them new or have them done at the factory later. Buy the version that fits your budget today, and grow into the rest whenever you like.

How It Sounds

The PH 9.0 is one of ModWright's best values, and in a lineup built on value, that's saying something. It has a natural warmth that seems lit from within, paired with transparency you'd expect from solid-state. Bass is tight and organic, and tone comes through vivid and true. It's the best of both worlds, and it's why we recommend it so often.

Reviewers hear the same balance of clarity and naturalness. StereoNET heard the PH 9.0 clear away the haze and grayness many solid-state phono stages leave behind, restoring a proper soundstage. Part-Time Audiophile found its midrange smoothness and clarity came close to disappearing entirely. The Ear, reviewing the fully loaded PH 9.0XT, was struck first by how natural it sounds.

Connections and Controls

• One pair of RCA inputs for moving magnet and one pair for moving coil.
• RCA outputs on every version, plus fully balanced XLR outputs on the 9.0X and 9.0XT (chosen with a rear toggle) or on the PH 9.0 with the XLR option.
• Front panel: input selector (MM, mute, MC), gain trim (0, -6, -12dB), MC load selector, and power switch.
• Rear panel: mono/stereo switch and a ground lug for your turntable's ground wire.

Where It Fits

The PH 9.0 is the sweet spot of ModWright's analog line: most of the reference PH 150's design in a compact two-box package. It's a natural match for ModWright's LS 99 and LS 300 preamps, and with the 9.0X's balanced outputs it fits any fully balanced system. Its wide gain range and on-the-fly loading make it a great choice for anyone who owns more than one cartridge, or plans to.

Every PH 9.0 is designed and handcrafted in Amboy, Washington, and carries a five-year parts and labor warranty when purchased from an authorized ModWright dealer like us.

Press Recognition

• Positive Feedback (June 2019), Greg Weaver. Weaver, who owns ModWright's PH 150, found the PH 9.0 as starkly quiet as its big brother and called it a new paradigm in affordable excellence. Read the review at Positive Feedback
• Part-Time Audiophile (April 2021), Grover Neville. Neville gave top marks for ergonomics, heard grooves and dynamic swings leap from the speakers with new energy, and called it an excellent phono stage that should elevate any system. Read the review at Part-Time Audiophile
• The Ear, PH 9.0XT review. The Ear found the fully loaded XT strikingly natural, extremely capable and revealing, and a strong contender for listeners who'd rather be transported by the music than pay for a fancier brand. Read the review at The Ear
• StereoNET. StereoNET called the PH 9.0 an excellent-sounding design, head and shoulders above more mass-market phono stages. Read the review at StereoNET
• Audiophilia (2019). Audiophilia found the PH 9.0 easily held its own against phono stages priced well above it and praised the mono switch for listeners with mono collections. Read the review at Audiophilia
• Hi-Fi News. Hi-Fi News reviewed and lab-tested the PH 9.0, and came away impressed by its delicacy with finely picked instruments. Read the review at Hi-Fi News

Not sure whether the 9.0, 9.0X, or 9.0XT fits your cartridge and system? Give us a call, tell us what you're spinning, and we'll help you choose.

Specifications

• Type: Tube MM/MC phono stage, two-chassis design
• Tube complement: 2 x 6C45, 2 x 6922 (6DJ8/7308 compatible); PH 9.0XT adds 1 x 5AR4 rectifier in the power supply
• MC gain: 64dB (PH 9.0), 70dB (PH 9.0X, 9.0XT)
• MM gain: 52dB (PH 9.0), 58dB (PH 9.0X, 9.0XT)
• Gain trim: 0, -6, -12dB, front panel
• MC loading: 10, 20, 50, 100, 250, 470 ohms, front panel
• MM loading: 47k ohms
• Frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz (±0.2dB)
• Inputs: 1 pair RCA MM, 1 pair RCA MC
• Outputs: 1 pair RCA; 1 pair fully balanced XLR on PH 9.0X and 9.0XT (RCA or XLR selected by rear toggle) or on PH 9.0 with XLR option (Edcor 1:1 transformers)
• Output stage: Choke-loaded with coupling capacitors (PH 9.0); Lundahl gapped output transformers (PH 9.0X, 9.0XT)
• Power supply: Outboard, solid-state (PH 9.0, 9.0X); tube rectified with high-voltage pre-regulator (PH 9.0XT); 6 ft umbilical
• Other features: Mono/stereo switch, ground lug, 25-second mute on startup
• Dimensions, phono stage: 10" W x 10" D x 4" H
• Dimensions, power supply: 7" W x 9" D x 3" H
• Weight: 11 lbs (PH 9.0), 13 lbs (PH 9.0X, 9.0XT); power supply 12 lbs
• Finishes: Silver or black chassis, with silver or black knobs
• Warranty: 5 years parts and labor from an authorized dealer, non-transferable
• Designed and handcrafted: Amboy, Washington, USA