The Challenge
One of the most wanted parts for the earlier EMT 927st and EMT 930st professional turntables is the EMT 139st stereo phono tube equalizer amplifier. Around the world there are only a handful of the original amplifiers left, they are very rare and highly sought-after and the ones still out there are the property of passionate EMT collectors and always in use in their beloved EMT 927st and/or EMT 930st turntables.

As a serious collector and user of some of these turntables I had the opportunity to buy an original EMT 139st b, serial no. 8059 from 1964 but I need more units to meet the need in the rest of my turntables, so the idea was to copy the original, easy to say, hard to do but the challenge was born, the challenge to prove it could be done: built it the classic way with new components and tailor made parts.

Finally, after months of meticulous reversed engineering of the original EMT 139st b, searching for original manufacturers of some parts, prototyping and testing, the original EMT 139st b was complete and perfect documented down to the last screw and a first limited series was built for private use.

Continuation
So, the legend did return and I decided to start manufacturing new limited series to make this famous amplifier available for other EMT lovers around the globe.

Manufacturing of each limited series starts with purchasing all needed components and parts, either sourced from the original supplier or recreated in exact detail with no compromises or deviation from the classic design with the commitment to exactly recreating the finest replica of the EMT 139st b.

The 139st b’s are built with high-grade components and tailor made mechanical parts, in- and output transformers re-manufactured by the original German supplier HAUFE in accordance with the former EMT specifications, gold plated tube sockets, tested and selected vintage TELEFUNKEN ECC81 & ECC83 smooth plate tubes and Swiss made gold plated switches for switching stereo/mono and equalizer characteristics.

Assembly is completely done by hand in the same tradition as the original, passionately built with respect to the classic design to meet original EMT specifications. After manufacturing, rigorous quality control, measurements and testing, every 139st b is placed in one of my EMT 927st or EMT 930st turntables for an extended burn-in period.

The result of all this effort is that each 139st b represents a meticulous recreation of the original EMT 139st b, amazing its appearance inside and outside, amazing its sound and quality, amazing the equality to its famous old ancestor.

Technical Background
The EMT 139st stereo phono tube equalizer amplifier was designed in 1959 as partner of the EMT 139 mono phono tube equalizer amplifier to fulfill the need of stereo sound reproduction with the professional studio turntables EMT 927st and EMT 930st.  It was and is a professional state-of-the-art stereo phono tube equalizer amplifier with top quality in- and output transformers to amplify low level signals of dynamic (MC) cartridges to studio balanced line level (+6dB).

The first version was provided with de-emphasis characteristics for DIN, NARTB and RIAA, the second version of the EMT 139st was (re)designed in 1963 with de-emphasis characteristics for NAB-RIAA-DIN 33/45, DIN 78, BBC and FLAT and was called EMT 139st b. The EMT 139st b was in production with EMT until 1967 after which it was succeeded by the solid state version EMT 155st.

Side by Side
Gallery images are reflecting the original EMT 139st b on the left and the 139st b on the right, a “time out” of more than 40 years.

Features

• Hand-built in limited series, each amplifier takes approximately 40 hours to built.
• Tailor made chassis, case and switch panel painted in original “hammered” medium-grey.
• Tailor made mechanical parts.
• In- and output transformers re-manufactured by the original German supplier HAUFE in accordance with the original EMT specifications.
• Gold plated tube sockets.
• Tested and selected vintage TELEFUNKEN ECC81 & ECC83 smooth plate tubes.
• Swiss made gold plated switches.
• Gain, frequency response, noise, distortion, all specifications are on a par with or better than the original EMT 139st b.
• Comes with a screened switch panel.
• Comes with a copy of the original EMT 139st b circuit diagram, technical information, instructions for operation and EMT Courier no. 5.
• Manufactured in compliance with RoHS/CE regulations.
• Warranty: 5 years on parts and labor (except tubes which carry 6 months).

Note: Can only be used in earlier EMT 927st and EMT 930st turntables with serial no’s before 14.725 with the necessary power supplies for the EMT 139st and EMT 139st b.