Фонокорректоры — Cary Audio VT-500

The VT-500 is a valve phono stage from Cary Audio, the American amplifier maker, launched on 27 May 2019 at a list price of USD 5,495. There is a dedicated input for each cartridge type, MM and MC, and the circuit uses four 6SL7 double triodes with a valve rectifier in a separate power supply chassis. Below it in the Cary range sits the PH-302 MkII, a valve phono stage built around a similar valve line-up.

Key specs that matter

Two 6SL7 valves form the head amplifier, two more handle RIAA equalisation and gain, and a 5AR4 rectifier sits in the external power supply. Gain is 38 dB for moving-magnet cartridges from the triodes alone and 65 dB for moving-coil cartridges, where step-up transformers add to the valve gain. The MM input is loaded at 47 kOhm, and MC loading can be selected at 50, 100, 200, 500 or 1,000 ohm. Output impedance is 660 ohm, signal to noise ratio is 78 dB below full output, and RIAA accuracy is ±0.5 dB. Power consumption is 15 W, and the unit runs on 100 to 120 V or 200 to 240 V at 50 or 60 Hz. The main chassis measures about 438 x 127 x 330 mm and weighs about 10 kg, with a black or silver anodised aluminium faceplate on a textured black powder-coated case.

Engineering and use context

The circuit is direct-coupled and single-ended in Class A, so no coupling capacitors separate the two gain stages. RIAA equalisation is passive, formed by a resistor and capacitor network placed between the two stages, which shapes the frequency response without an active feedback loop. For moving-coil cartridges, two step-up transformers raise the signal passively before it reaches the valves, adding gain without the noise of a further active stage. A separate heavy-duty chassis houses the fully regulated supply, built around an R-Core transformer, keeping the mains transformer and rectifier away from the sensitive input circuits. Cary specifies a warm-up time of five minutes and a break-in period of about 100 hours. The choice of five MC load values allows the input to be matched to the loading recommended for most moving-coil cartridges, from very low-impedance designs to high-output types.

Pairing

The MM gain suits moving-magnet cartridges with normal output, and the MC gain covers most moving-coil cartridges. The low output impedance drives the line input of any valve or solid-state preamplifier, including Cary's own preamplifiers.

Alternatives

The Cary Audio PH-302 MkII is the lower-priced valve phono stage with 6SL7 valves, a 5AR4 rectifier and MC step-up transformers.