Herron VTPH-2A discontinued
The VTPH-2 faceplate was also available in a cool graphite color, sort of a very light charcoal. Wonder which one mine is? https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367 |
Longshot here, but are there any forum member that own a VTPH with a silver faceplate that might want to trade me for my black faceplate? I was lucky enough to find another unit (after reluctantly selling my first earlier this year) and the price was so good, just wish it was silver to match everything else. Already tried Keith, no leftover parts. |
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Why doesn’t he sell the rights and designs of his products to another person? Good question. I don’t know the answer. However, it is pretty easy to imagine....... Last few years I have had the pleasure to talk with some of these guys. Can’t honestly say I got to know them, but you talk to people and the clues pile up. Eric Alexander knew from the time he was a kid he wanted to be a speaker builder. Dave Thompson is fascinated by and loves music reproduction. Krissy Tetrault pretty much lives to make it sound better than most can even imagine. Keith Herron loves music. To name just a few. They really love what they are doing. You can feel it when they talk about it. But they aren’t just doing it like we are, buying some stuff to try at home. They are building right at the edge of what can be. They build this and it goes out into the world and we love it and they built it. With Herron the connection is obvious, he puts his name on it. But even Tekton, Raven, Soundsmith, these are really Eric, Dave, Peter. Has to be. They put so much of themselves into it. I can only imagine how tremendously satisfying that must be, to have accomplished that. To have created that. All that musical enjoyment. All that love. Then after a lifetime of doing that you are gonna turn around and monetize it, like some toaster or something? I mean yeah sure, Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, whole long list of em did just that. Which only serves to burnish the rep of those who won’t. |
@au_lait: I don’t want to speak for Keith Herron, but though he will not be making any more phono amps, he may be willing to upgrade a VTPH-2 to a -2A, assuming he has the required parts in stock. He is staying in business, still making his line stage and power amps, not retiring quite yet. At least that is my understanding of the situation. Give him a call! |
It will last longer than any of us, with occasional new tubes and very occasional replacement of electrolytic caps, like every 20 years. With heavy use a switch or potentiometer or tube socket might eventually need cleaning or replacement. But basically a unit like that has an indefinite lifespan. People still use Marantz and McIntosh preamps (and other brands) sold in the 1950s. |
I have the Herron vtph-1 mc plus. I`ve often considered moving to the VTPH2. I don`t see myself going back to a MM so I figured why spend money on features that are baked in to the design (for an additional cost) that I`ll never use. Keith put blue LED`s in it for me when I asked if he could do that for me ! I left all the tubes stock except for a vintage Telefunken 12AU7 that I harvested from a C-20 years ago that has a painted green tip that from what I gather means low noise. Mine sounds very nice. |
Correct @lewm. 4 x 12AX7 = 44dB, 2 x 12AX7 + 2 x 12AT7 = 42dB. When Frank Van Alstine was installing his own circuit into the Dynaco PAS 2 & 3 pre-amps (in the 1980’s), he was using 5751 tubes in place of the stock 12AX7’s. The 5751 provides somewhat lower gain than the 12AX7, but Frank prefers it’s operational characteristics. Roger Modjeski wasn’t a fan of the 12AX7 for phono gain usage (though he used that tube for the input/gain stage of his marvelous little RM- 10 power amp), preferring the 6DJ8. Tim de Paravicini (EAR-Yoshino) agreed with Roger, using the higher voltage version of the 6DJ8---the 7DJ8---in his pre-amps, for both phono and line stages. |
It's a keeper, what I said from the beginning and totally unoriginal, was only repeating what others had said before me. One of the many things that sold me on it, the number of guys who said they are done looking. Lots of other stuff to work on, but the phono stage is not one of them. To build something so good is quite an accomplishment, especially considering the phono stage is probably the most critically demanding component in the whole audio chain. Quite an accomplishment. |
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Just spent a listening session with Keith over at a friends and not sure you will see anymore VTPH2’s or a replacement in the future. Keith is a wonderful person and all of his gear is top notch and a lot of bang for the $$$, you could spend a lot more and get worse sound...if you see a VTPH2 for sale pick it up and enjoy it! |
I contacted Keith about acquiring a VTPH-1mm, long after it had been superseded by the VTPH-2. My research on the phono amp had informed me that most of the improvements introduced in the VTPH-2 were to it's mc section, which is of no significance to me---I use only very high output (5mV!) pickups. Keith just happened to have in stock a traded-in VTPH-1mc, which he offered to convert to a -1mm for me. Sold! While he did that, he went ahead and made a few upgrades to the -1mm's circuitry, one's incorporated into the mm section of the VTPH-2. I had him set up the amp for lowest gain (42dB)---accomplished via the choice of tubes (12AX7 vs. 12AT7), but he also sent along the tubes required to create 44dB of gain, just in case. Whatta guy! There may be "better" phono amps available, but at what cost? My system is a modest one, and the VTPH-1mm is certainly not it's weakest link. Creating a balanced system is the key to sonic and musical satisfaction, and I'm quite happy with my Herron VTPH-1mm. |
To keep price down Keith would have to order a production run of certain key parts like faceplates, chassis, etc. Depending on sales volume this could be something around a years worth or so of production. Prices have gone up so much since the last time, that this time he looked and said the price increase to produce would be astronomical. Probably one of several factors but a crucial one. Anyway, point is the VTPH2A was and is an awesome phono stage, it was selling well, but now will be made no more. A real shame, I don't know of anything to recommend in that price range, and as performance goes you are now realistically looking at $5-10k. It will be missed. |
