IC/WANTED Valve phono stage.

[Natara]

Only an interest check at the moment but in the next month or so I intend on buying a valve phono stage to go with the lenco GL75 I will get to sit in the lovely plinth I’m getting.

This will eventually be the front end of a Reggae system I’m building for my spare room. Any suggestions for the amp must be Valve and either be pre/power or int’ but must have tone controls.

[Firebottle]

I think you are going to have to go really old school to find a valve preamp with tone controls.
Good luck.

[Lawrence001]

Some of the new Chinese stuff has tone controls, have a look on eBay.

[montesquieu]

This is what you want, very rare outside of the US though https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HH-Scott-tube-integrated-amplifier-222D-NOS-Valves-rebuilt-Telefunken-tubes/173450311015?hash=item286271b567%3Ag%3ApL8AAOSw53d bZZo0&_nkw=scott+tube+amplifier&rt=nc

[Natara]

That Scott looks like a beautiful pre amp possibly a little bit too expensive when taking into account postage but a lovely thing.

[montesquieu]

That Scott looks like a beautiful pre amp possibly a little bit too expensive when taking into account postage but a lovely thing.

Actually it's an integrated, allegedly with 48w out though hard to see that when the 7189 has similar-ish output capability as an EL84. My guess is about 15 genuine watts in push pull per channel. 11 tubes inside in total.

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/scott_hh_stereomaster_222_d.html

[nickbaba]

My suggestion would be to get an EAR 834p, the one with gain control on the front. It's a great valve phono-stage and you can use it as a pre-amp straight into a power amp as it has a volume control on the front. Then you could put a passive EQ inbetween if needed, but tbh the SQ from the 834 should be sufficient that you won't want to be messing with the bass or whatever. I have tone controls on the front of my McIntosh amp but once I got the system sounding good I left them all flat and never touched them again.

[Lurch]

There's a lovely Icon Audio PS1.2 sitting on fleabay at the moment, that would be well worth keeping an eye on, again it has a volume control so can go direct to a Power amp.

[Natara]

Thanks everyone really good advice.

[Lawrence001]

Check this out, old school tone controls

https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/luxman-sq38-signature-valve-amp.218183/

[Natara]

Yes I saw that Lawrence looks beautiful and does have tone controls but a bit pricey.

[Lawrence001]

At the other end of the spectrum...

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F 272908554710

[Lawrence001]

Thirty two quid!!!! :eek:
That shouldn't even be possible.

Better start your production outsourcing discussions with your Chinese contacts!

[Natara]

I have seen these it is unbelievable. They also do a 200 watt D class amp for about the same price