“Music First Audio’s new Reference MM Phono Stage is a high end, premium priced valve phono pre-amplifier” says the company’s press release that has just this minute landed on the Hifi Pig desk.

The phonostage is the result of years of development and combines vacuum tube and solid state circuit topology “to bring the beauty of valve sound with the long term stability that transistors afford”.

The front end of the Reference MM Stage employs a very low noise pentode originally designed for the European communication industry, combined with a dual triode to provide high gain, low noise and low impedance drive.

This first stage, then drives an inductive equalisation network showcasing Music First Audio’s coil winding expertise. The equalised signal is then amplified and passed through Longdog Audio’s signature line driving stage. Power for the dual mono circuitry is provided by an isolated and regulated power supply which feeds, via high quality locking connectors, four discrete high voltage, low noise regulators that power the active circuitry.

The Reference Phono Stage is housed in a non-ferrous aluminium casework and is designed and built exclusively in the United Kingdom. “The result is a phono pre-amplifier of exceptionally high ability, offering unparalleled transparency, harmonic accuracy and reliability” say Music First.

The Music First Reference MM Phono Amplifier costs £8208 plus VAT, and is on sale now.