I had my ph9.0 upgraded to the 9.0x. The 9.0 was excellent, especially with the right nos tube (Valvo or Philips miniwatt) and subjectively equal to my previous Parasound JC 3+ ss phono pre. The 9.0 X took it up quite a bit (bass authority and soundstage depth) and I can’t imagine it getting any better that this. Fantastic phono pre and every bit as quiet as the Parasound was,
Modwright PH 9.0X Compared to a Pass Labs XP-15
I currently own the XP-15 and I have been considering moving to a
tube phono preamp. The PH 9.0X has piqued my interest. I am
wondering if anyone has heard these two preamps and can describe
the differences in presentation. I am not asking which is "better", just
wondering what changes I could expect if I put the Modwright in my system.
The Pass is a fine phono preamp, but with a SS integrated, I think a
tube phono would be a good move. I like the fact that the with the PH 9.0X
the controls are accessible from the front. The dip switches on the Pass
are somewhat inconvenient to reach.
The rest of my analog system is: Luxman L505uXII, Technics SL 1200G,
Hana SL, Shure V15 V-MR with Jico SAS, AT33 Mono and Harbeth SHL5 Plus
speakers.