PV5

About the PV5

The Conrad Johnson PV-5 is an all-tube preamplifier featuring a phono stage and line stage with exceptional sonic clarity and precision. It uses eight factory burned-in vacuum tubes (2 x 12AX7, 4 x 5751, 2 x 5965) chosen for their sonic performance and longevity. The PV-5 employs low noise mil-spec resistors, polypropylene capacitors, and CJD polystyrene capacitors in the signal path, providing wide bandwidth and low sonic memory for precise musical transient attack and decay. The phono stage offers 41.5 dB gain with RIAA equalization accurate to ±0.25 dB from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, and the line stage provides 28.5 dB gain. Distortion is kept below 0.05% THD or IMD. Signal-to-noise ratio is 72 dB for the phono stage and 84 dB for the line stage. The PV-5 is noted for its quiet operation, effective pop suppression during power on/off, and excellent volume control tracking better than 0.5 dB over a wide range. It includes multiple inputs (phono, tuner, auxiliary, tape) and two main outputs, designed to drive amplifiers with input impedance of 10k ohms or greater. Dimensions are 16" x 3" x 10" and it weighs approximately 12.25 lbs. The PV-5 was highly regarded by audiophiles and reviewers as a reference preamplifier, delivering performance comparable to models costing nearly three times as much.