Status: 4-6  month lead time. Sorry about the delay. Please contact us to purchase or join the wait list, or if you have any questions (info@tavishdesign.com). And, please read the reviews by Ron Nagle in Enjoy The Music and Art Dudley (Listening #162) in the June 2016 edition of Stereophile, and the most recent review by Herb Reichert in the March 2018 edition of Stereophile.

The Adagio was recently re-listed as a Stereophile Recommended Component in the April 2022 issue. Thanks everyone!

Front Photo                    Top Photo                      Rear Photo

Owner's Manual

Tavish Design’s Adagio Vacuum-Tube Phono Stage is our “cost-is-no-object” design, but at a reasonable price, in a clean, simple package. It offers state-of-the-art specifications that rival or exceed the measured performance of solid-state phono stages, but with an all-vacuum-tube signal path.

The Adagio is a new circuit using a combination of passive and active equalization to provide consistently accurate ±0.2 dB RIAA equalization, vanishingly low <0.008% harmonic distortion, and exceptional 36 dB overload margin. And, the Adagio is dead quiet, with a signal-to-noise ratio approaching the theoretical minimum set by the cartridge itself.

The combination of high gain and low noise allows the Adagio to accommodate almost any moving magnet or moving coil cartridge. The moving coil input is transformer balanced using a 1:10 step-up ratio Jensen JT-44K-DX, and both XLR and RCA input connectors are provided. The JT-44K-DX offers excellent performance, but the Jensen JT-347-AXT (with 1:8 or 1:12 step-up ratios) is also available. The universal output (unbalanced or balanced compatible) is available through both RCA and XLR output connectors.

The Adagio uses a separate power supply to eliminate hum and power line interference. The phono stage itself is compact (only 8.6” wide) and can be placed easily close to the turntable. The power supply can be placed in any convenient remote location (up to 6 feet away) and switched from the main phono stage. The phono stage and power supply can also be placed side-by-side on a standard 17” wide equipment shelf, if you prefer. In addition to the standard solid-state regulated external power supply, we also offer a tube-rectified, choke-filtered, tube-regulated external power supply as an extra-cost option - please inquire.

In addition to the standard North American version, an upgraded international version of the Adagio solid-state power supply is available for either 220-240V, or 110-120V, 50/60Hz operation. It has a larger 50/60Hz power toroid and double the filter capacitance on all three regulated supplies, to address widely varying international power line voltages. When wired for 220-240V, it ships with an EU or UK line cord; please select your line voltage when ordering. If you don't see a shipping option for your location, please contact us for a shipping quote.

We offer a choice of cover colors for the main preamp enclosure, either the original light gray (Federal Standard Gray) or a darker gray (Retro Gray, matching the color of the tube power supply). Other more adventurous colors are occasionally in stock.

With the Adagio Phono Stage, you don’t have to choose between the outstanding engineering numbers of a solid-state design and the warm musical appeal of an all-vacuum-tube design – you get both, at a price far less than other high-end phono stages. You can spend a lot more money, but you can't buy a better performing tube phono stage. It's all in the engineering.

• Designed to accommodate both Moving Magnet and Moving Coil cartridges
• Gain: 44 dB Moving Magnet, 64 dB Moving Coil
• RIAA equalization accuracy ±0.2 dB, 20Hz – 20kHz
• Signal-to-noise, moving magnet (MM) input: >84 dBA, ref 5 mV @ 1 kHz
• Signal-to-noise, moving coil (MC) input: >82 dBA, ref 0.5 mV @ 1 kHz
• Reference output level: 750 mV RMS ( approximately 0 dBu)
• Total harmonic distortion <0.008% at reference output level into 10k ohms, 1kHz
• Output level for 1% THD:  >44 VRMS into 10k ohms, 1 kHz (36dB overload margin)
• Front-Panel Adjustable Cartridge Loading on both MM and MC inputs (adjustable capacitance on MM input, adjustable resistance on MC input)
• Linear regulated 300V high voltage and 6.3/12.6V heater supplies (No Switching Power Supplies)
• OMRON low-signal relays for MM/MC selection and output muting
• 14 gauge powder-coated aluminum chassis
• Tube complement: 5751 (x3), 6267/EF86 (x2), 12AU7A (x1)  
• Power Consumption: 35W  (120V 60Hz or 220-240V 50-60Hz)
• Main Phono Stage Size: 8.6” wide, 10.2” deep, 2.2” high (3.9” high to top of tube guard)
• Power Supply Size: 8” wide, 10.2” deep, 2.2” high
• Weight: Phono Stage 5 lbs., Power Supply 4 lbs. (12-13 lbs. shipping weight)
• Made in U.S.A.
• 6 year limited warranty