Salas DCG3 preamp (line & headphone)

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I did OPA2134 yesterday but had not enough patience to listen carefully, so I swapped back.

I'll take time for this the next days and give a report.

Will it be useful to test lme49990 ? I made good experience using that op with a single to dual adapter in several HPAs and in the dam 1021. For audio its very detailled and nice imo.
You have to buffer power supply voltage with 10µF and 0.1µF MKP direct on the adapter (as mentioned by TI), but then it's fine.

Bipolar input ones don't all manage good offset in this preamp's servo. Those that do manage, also bring some tube like tone IMHO. In a rather sloppy way though. But try that super LME also when already in hand and if its easy enough to apply, it may do differently.
 
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Not really worth to invest in medium priced switchers in my view. They will be clunky and you will end up aspiring to a Khozmo or a Goldpoint again. Listen also with an Alpha 20k log dirt cheap but tonally decent carbon VS your Ebay compact switcher so to get the idea of switcher VS track pots and then project that in your mind VS TKD and the like. Those better resistance track pots occupy a middle ground for budget too.
 
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I think I have seen that in some old scopes. They made them to last back then. If its NOS materials and contacts still hold mechanically and you find it usable without intruding switch action noise then it can be a decent solution. That's DIY making a pot so you plan your value you choose your resistors and you save $. Is it the metal film Takman you used?
 
I think I have seen that in some old scopes. They made them to last back then. If its NOS materials and contacts still hold mechanically and you find it usable without intruding switch action noise then it can be a decent solution. That's DIY making a pot so you plan your value you choose your resistors and you save $. Is it the metal film Takman you used?

Yes they are NOS. Yes I used Takman metal film wired as a shunt and used a Shinkoh as the series.

nash
 
You may recall that I built a balanced unit. For each channel a 13k series to + and another 13k series to the - on the board direct from the XLR. The appropriate shunt resistor is switched singly by the attenuator which is placed between the + and - so at any attenuation level there are only three resistors in the signal path for each channel.

Happy with the preamp used only as a line preamp for a year but itching to experiment. Thinking about the 327 in the mirror but want to complete my OBL15 build before I do anything else.

nash
 
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You may recall that I built a balanced unit. For each channel a 13k series to + and another 13k series to the - on the board direct from the XLR. The appropriate shunt resistor is switched singly by the attenuator which is placed between the + and - so at any attenuation level there are only three resistors in the signal path for each channel.

Happy with the preamp used only as a line preamp for a year but itching to experiment. Thinking about the 327 in the mirror but want to complete my OBL15 build before I do anything else.

nash
Can even install header pin sockets for Q1 Q2 to easier compare types back and forth before making them permanent. Like in this old video from Tea back when he was trying general works, parts matching, and offset trim. YouTube
 
@Salas, that means that as we discussed earlier in the thread for my build I will be reusing the Salas BiB PSU boards (+/-IRF) with a 23-0-23v 1A (dual secondaries) RCORE transformer. So I got a 150R 5W load resistor for the BiB psu boards to set the voltage to +/-17V DC for the DCG3. Am I correct in assuming that the DC output voltage for DCG3 should be fixed at +/-17V?

Thanks
 
I have just tried without the opamp in the Preamp

not so much difference ,,maybe a bit more clear ,than the ad823

the opa2134 give a little more clear top .compared to no opamp

i will think the ad823 come close to the sound without opamp

question,,, how much DC from preamp will be ok.....30mV or what ?? what will amp and speaker accept
 
i will try to measure the DC on amp ouput,,

my amp have a DC protection ..works fine with to high DC

and i kan se that the Salas pre without opamp is max 15mV

i am just trying all small things to change in the Salas pre ..just to se what it gives in sound

will also try some Cree diode in the Salas supply..so i can try some big 10000uf Kemit rifa cap at the first cap
 
I have just tried without the opamp in the Preamp

not so much difference ,,maybe a bit more clear ,than the ad823

the opa2134 give a little more clear top .compared to no opamp

i will think the ad823 come close to the sound without opamp

question,,, how much DC from preamp will be ok.....30mV or what ?? what will amp and speaker accept

Remember that any DC from your pre will be multiplied by the voltage gain of your poweramp and outputted. For example a 26db gin typical poweramp is a voltage ratio gain of 20, so even 2mv scales up to 40mv.
 
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@Salas, that means that as we discussed earlier in the thread for my build I will be reusing the Salas BiB PSU boards (+/-IRF) with a 23-0-23v 1A (dual secondaries) RCORE transformer. So I got a 150R 5W load resistor for the BiB psu boards to set the voltage to +/-17V DC for the DCG3. Am I correct in assuming that the DC output voltage for DCG3 should be fixed at +/-17V?

Thanks

No matter DCSTB or BiB or other PSU its output has to be set at +/- 17V as noted in the DCG3 schematic.
 
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@ Beardman

If you need more top attack in your system try with a 10k log volume potentiometer.

No servo chip DCG3 use is precarious. Not recommended. Relying on DC detection/protection systems further in the chain is your responsibility.
Make sure you never on/off the preamp when the amp is on. Give the power amp time to discharge its PSU capacitors before considered truly off.