VT-500
Vinyl deserves a tube preamplifier this good.
🔗 Manufacturer websiteDescription ⌄
Cary Audio VT-500 — dual-triode tube phono preamplifier with separate MC/MM inputs. Moving coil and moving magnet phono preamplifier with dual triode vacuum tube buffer and gain stages (4× 6SL7 vacuum tubes) and 5AR4 vacuum tube voltage regulation. Separate step-up transformers for MC cartridges, MC externally adjustable from 50 Ω to 47k Ω loads. 65 dB overall gain in MC section. Zero feedback design.
Technical background
All-tube phono stage using 6SL7 triodes for both head amp and RIAA equalisation. External power supply with 5AR4 rectifier removes transformer-induced interference from audio path. MM gain: 38dB, MC gain: 65dB. RIAA accuracy: ±0.5dB.
Design story
Cary Audio's flagship tube phono stage. The external power supply is a key design decision — by separating the power circuitry from the delicate audio stage, hum and interference are minimised. Pairs naturally with any Cary tube preamplifier.
Best for
Serious vinyl listeners wanting a world-class tube phono stage with maximum loading flexibility; partners naturally with top-tier turntables and MC cartridges Vinyl enthusiasts; turntable users with MM or MC cartridges; phono upgrade buyers Vinyl playback; turntable system integration; phono stage upgrade
Awards & press
⭐ N/A "Fully competitive in performance and flexibility with tube phono stages priced up to $10,000, while costing half that much!" — Robert H. Levi, Positive Feedback
Features ⌄
- Step-up input transformers for MC — pure passive gain, zero active noise addition
- Selectable MC loading (50–1000Ω) + outboard power supply — precision cartridge matching and ultra-quiet noise floor
- Passive RIAA equalization ±0.5 dB + all-triode 6SL7 single-ended Class A circuit — no feedback, no caps in signal path
- 65dB MC gain — handles the lowest-output moving-coil cartridges without noise
- External power supply — separates sensitive audio circuits from transformer interference