MPP

Here is distortion and intermodulation at 100mV and 20mV at the output.
Under 20mV distortion fades into the noise. I am impressed.
 

Attachments

  • Curl Pre-Pre distortion 100mV.PNG
    Curl Pre-Pre distortion 100mV.PNG
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  • Curl Pre-Pre intermodulation 100mV.PNG
    Curl Pre-Pre intermodulation 100mV.PNG
    429.1 KB · Views: 385
  • Curl Pre-Pre distortion 20mV.PNG
    Curl Pre-Pre distortion 20mV.PNG
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  • Curl Pre-Pre intermodulation 20mV.PNG
    Curl Pre-Pre intermodulation 20mV.PNG
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The circuit in the Curl patent has a rather low input impedance. Some cartridges with a higher inductance do not like this ( the low impedance and the inductance make a treble rolloff that may be audible ) so later Curl made the JC1 - DC that has a more manageable 80 Ohm. As far as i can tell my Titan i sounds fine with the circuit as published but here is an alternative. The transdiodes at the input make a level shift of plus-minus Ube ( ca. 0.65V ) that makes it possible to couple into the bases of the amplifying transistors.
This also has a protection cap at the output and gain can be adjusted.
 

Attachments

  • JC-1DC.png
    JC-1DC.png
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The circuit from patent seems more interesting than the jc1-dc , the low input impedance is due to the use of feedback, so connecting the 160ohms resistor to ground instead of the input will increase the input impedance, but in this case a low value load resistor should be use at input.
 
Yes, good idea. The circuit has to drive the 160 Ohm plus the cartridge impedance anyway. So in my system it has to drive 166 Ohm if i am not wrong.
Do you think that this way of connecting makes the distortion higher ?
I will build it and try. The 160 Ohm to ground could be seen as current feedback instead of the original shunt feedback.
Do you think that a loading resistor of 2kOhm at the input is ok ?
 
I have rebuild one channel with the 160 Ohm resistor tied to ground. Distortion is a little bit higher but not much. Maybe i do not measure the same channel and this one was not as good as the other one from the beginning. The 2kOhm resistor seems to be a bit high.
When the cartridge is not connected i get over 10mV offset at the input. That goes down to nearly zero when i connect the cartridge but there could be a short current pulse when the cartridge gets connected. I try now a lower one. My Titan works well at around 300 Ohm so i try that now.
 

Attachments

  • Curl Pre-Pre current feedback distortion.PNG
    Curl Pre-Pre current feedback distortion.PNG
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  • Curl Pre-Pre current feedback intermodulation 20mV 100mV.PNG
    Curl Pre-Pre current feedback intermodulation 20mV 100mV.PNG
    402.3 KB · Views: 315
I put the new version in my system. There is still a bit of hum, not better then the version with two batteries, but it is possible to listen.
I like this version better then the first one.
There is an unmistakable transparency and imaging is very good.
Well focussed, wide, deep and high.
Tonally it is a bit light in the bass but i attribute that more to the rather simple MM stage i use. I cranked up my subs a bit ( maybe plus 2dB ).
That restored the tonal balanced more to what i am used to with my more elaborate phonos.
I will work on the hum now and listen more.
I will also publish the circuit how it is now.