HI,
I have a high output MC cartridge (2.5mV) that front the analog end to my low watt system (i am new to analog). It is driving a good pre which feeds a Pass ZV9 and a pair of high efficiency speakers.
I need to add some gain to this chain and my understanding is that i can do that through a pre-phono amp. I have recently stumbled across MC step up transformers and i was wondering if it would be possible to substitute a transformer for the pre-phono.
I don't need much gain (because of the MC's high output) and i thought if i could avoid adding another "active" stage in terms of a RIAA stage this would be a good thing.
Would someone mind enlightening me about step up transformers and whether this might be a good application?
Thanks
Neil
I have a high output MC cartridge (2.5mV) that front the analog end to my low watt system (i am new to analog). It is driving a good pre which feeds a Pass ZV9 and a pair of high efficiency speakers.
I need to add some gain to this chain and my understanding is that i can do that through a pre-phono amp. I have recently stumbled across MC step up transformers and i was wondering if it would be possible to substitute a transformer for the pre-phono.
I don't need much gain (because of the MC's high output) and i thought if i could avoid adding another "active" stage in terms of a RIAA stage this would be a good thing.
Would someone mind enlightening me about step up transformers and whether this might be a good application?
Thanks
Neil
I would check out the K and K discussion board on audioasylum.com
They are the importers of Lundahl transformers who make excellent step-up trannies for low output moving coil carts. (In fact I just bought a pair of the 9206 transformers for my new Zucable modified dl-103)
The k and k website has a ton of great info on this subject.
They are the importers of Lundahl transformers who make excellent step-up trannies for low output moving coil carts. (In fact I just bought a pair of the 9206 transformers for my new Zucable modified dl-103)
The k and k website has a ton of great info on this subject.
You still need frequency correction (RIAA correction).
How a my MC analog front end works is that I have a low output mc cart (0.4mV) that is connected to a step-up transformer and then to a moving magnet phonostage with about 38db of gain. The other alternative is to use a MC phonostage alone with higher gain (50db or so). MC phonostages have different resistor loading than MM stages. MC is lowish generally from 10ohms up into the hundreds. I have my MC phonostage set for a cartridge loading of 100ohms. MMs typically have 47kOhms.
Your cartridge has tremendous gain for a MC cart.... I'm actually suprised that you are lacking for gain. Can you please give us a rundown of your whole system???
Nate
How a my MC analog front end works is that I have a low output mc cart (0.4mV) that is connected to a step-up transformer and then to a moving magnet phonostage with about 38db of gain. The other alternative is to use a MC phonostage alone with higher gain (50db or so). MC phonostages have different resistor loading than MM stages. MC is lowish generally from 10ohms up into the hundreds. I have my MC phonostage set for a cartridge loading of 100ohms. MMs typically have 47kOhms.
Your cartridge has tremendous gain for a MC cart.... I'm actually suprised that you are lacking for gain. Can you please give us a rundown of your whole system???
Nate
When i originally posted i new nothing about RIAA equalization... its amazing what google and 3 days can produce.
My intention all along has been to replace my Pro-ject Phonobox with something with a little more audiophile quality. The phonobox provides +-40db of gain which is around what I need with my current setup.
My pre is an Eastern Electric tube pre-amp that feeds into a pair of Zen V9 monoblocks and out again to a pair of Zu druids.
I question at this point is what phono pre should i build. I have thought about the VSPS but have not heard much about its Audio quality and although i greatly admire its simplicity i wonder if i will be taking a step sideways from the Phonobox?
I have a Pass Pearl sitting in my closet that has given me nothing but grief for the last few months, i have a serious distortion problem that no matter which way i have looked at it has persisted (but that is for another thread http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=109241&perpage=25&highlight=&pagenumber=2)
So any thoughts on anther phono stage would be great
My intention all along has been to replace my Pro-ject Phonobox with something with a little more audiophile quality. The phonobox provides +-40db of gain which is around what I need with my current setup.
My pre is an Eastern Electric tube pre-amp that feeds into a pair of Zen V9 monoblocks and out again to a pair of Zu druids.
I question at this point is what phono pre should i build. I have thought about the VSPS but have not heard much about its Audio quality and although i greatly admire its simplicity i wonder if i will be taking a step sideways from the Phonobox?
I have a Pass Pearl sitting in my closet that has given me nothing but grief for the last few months, i have a serious distortion problem that no matter which way i have looked at it has persisted (but that is for another thread http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=109241&perpage=25&highlight=&pagenumber=2)
So any thoughts on anther phono stage would be great
I have used the passdiy.com pearl phonostage for the last couple of years. This is by all accounts a great sounding unit. It has plenty of gain and flexible cartridge loading and probably most important to you low noise! I checked out the VSPS and while very simple, with the level of your gear, you might want to step up to something better.
Until about two months ago, I used my Pearl with the optional moving coil boards that boost up the gain considerably. I used this setup with a Shelter 301 cartridge with 0.3mV (very low) output with awsome results. My cat broke my shelter and due to my student's budget, I bought the ZU cart. I'm hoping that it will work out well. While I can use the ZU cart with the MC input on my phonostage, I'm hoping that matching the cart to a high quality step-up and then to the MM portion of my phonostage will be better than having a fully active phonostage. This is a very common "high end" configuration for low output MCs.
The other phonostage that I used before this is the Hagerman Bugle with both the battery and "plug in" power supplies. I used this with a Music Hall MMF-5 with a fairly cheap MM cart. I also used the Pearl with the MMF-5 and it was far superior.
I hope this helps.
Nate
Until about two months ago, I used my Pearl with the optional moving coil boards that boost up the gain considerably. I used this setup with a Shelter 301 cartridge with 0.3mV (very low) output with awsome results. My cat broke my shelter and due to my student's budget, I bought the ZU cart. I'm hoping that it will work out well. While I can use the ZU cart with the MC input on my phonostage, I'm hoping that matching the cart to a high quality step-up and then to the MM portion of my phonostage will be better than having a fully active phonostage. This is a very common "high end" configuration for low output MCs.
The other phonostage that I used before this is the Hagerman Bugle with both the battery and "plug in" power supplies. I used this with a Music Hall MMF-5 with a fairly cheap MM cart. I also used the Pearl with the MMF-5 and it was far superior.
I hope this helps.
Nate
neil_kaye said:
It's a real shame you can't get your Pearl working properly, I love mine.
I'm currently building a Hagerman Piccolo head-amp to go with it. In my system it just doesn't have enough gain for LOMC's.
If I was going to build another phono stage, it would be either the Bottlehead Seduction with C4S upgrade or the Hagerman Cornet 2. Both are fine with MM carts, but require step-up devices for MC.
Jeff
cool.
I have high hopes that you and your friend will be successfull. That is a really nice case btw! You can see pictures of my Pearl here: http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vevol&1160438278&read&3&4&
My casework is made of MDF and rosewood and I don't get any rfi or any noise at all. There is a slight 60 Hz hum that comes through when the system is cranked and there is a silence, but my pearl has the MC boars and something like 60db of gain! I'm hoping that the step up and the basic MM version of the pearl will eliminate this.
Best of luck- I you do end up sending your pearl to me, then I'm positive that the source of your problems will be those Mundorf caps..... I will gladly remove them for you....
nate
I have high hopes that you and your friend will be successfull. That is a really nice case btw! You can see pictures of my Pearl here: http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vevol&1160438278&read&3&4&
My casework is made of MDF and rosewood and I don't get any rfi or any noise at all. There is a slight 60 Hz hum that comes through when the system is cranked and there is a silence, but my pearl has the MC boars and something like 60db of gain! I'm hoping that the step up and the basic MM version of the pearl will eliminate this.
Best of luck- I you do end up sending your pearl to me, then I'm positive that the source of your problems will be those Mundorf caps..... I will gladly remove them for you....
nate
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.