@rsf507 i don't think so. I didn't see it there either. Still some places selling it online, but it may be discontinued. There doesn't seem to be a replacement in that price category anymore either with a stand alone power supply from them.
WhestTHREE signature phono pre vs. ModWright PH 9.0X
I've mostly got my phono preamp upgrade down to a shortlist shootout choice between the WhestTHREE and the ModWright PH 9.0X. They're pretty much at the same price point (the MW is ~$300 more than the whest, give or take).
What I listen to mostly: Jazz & Jazz Fusion primarily (I do have things from many other genres, but want to tune my system to Jazz since that's 95% of my listening on vinyl).
What I like: wide soundstage, incredible mid-range, detail, some warmth
What I don't like: clinical!
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There are a lot of passionate Whest owners out there all over forums raving about them, but I've also seen people mention that they can be a little on the clinical side.
The modwright has less hands-on info out there that I could find, but the few things I could find review it very highly.
If owners of either could comment on their experience and some objective pros / cons of either, it would be helpful!
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I did have someone recommend the Gold note PH10 to me some time ago, and while it is at a lower price point, I've seen a lot of mixed reviews.
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@mmcgill829 FWIW I demoed a lot of phono stages before I landed on the older Modwright SWP 9.0 SE, the predecessor to the PH9.0. Even that older unit bested the last Herron phono, the Allnic H-1201, and a few others. I went to the PH9.0 and it was magnitudes better. Vlad Bazelkov of Audio Mirror was with me when I unboxed the 9.0 and he immediately contacted Dan Wright and bought one for himself. I upgraded to the PH9.0X and ended up referring 3-4 more people I knew who ended up buying them. I demoed it against the Luxman EQ-500 and preferred the PH9.0X. At the end of the day, I did let it go to move on to really high end solid state. I started a thread a little over a year ago called “Solid State Phono Stages” if you want to read about that journey. I did do a bit of exploring, and it took phono stages $13K+ to be able to get past the PH9.0X. Even then, I would consider the units I owned since to be different, and not necessarily better in every dimension. |
Like @audiosaurusrex I run a similar combo…Hana Umami Red on a Rega P10, into a Modwright PH150 (Dan’s reference phono), into an Octave V80SE integrated. The 9.0X is really close in performance to the PH150. I just happened to get a great deal on a demo unit. The MW is absolutely stunning. I auditioned it against several phonos in the $8-12k range and it just fit my system perfectly. I’ve played tenor sax for years and it recreates the the timbre, tone, and dynamic response of that instrument (and others) so well. Its dynamic presence too is really stunning. Acoustic instruments and vocals also superb! For me when I listen to my system the balance just sounds right. Dan is a great guy to interact with too, very responsive, he’s humble and not flashy, but knows his gear kicks butt. The Part-Time Audio reviews of the Modwright phono stages are really spot on. You won’t be disappointed with the 9.0X. |
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