This was done back in the early '80s. I worked with Murray Zeligman to develop a "Headamp in a Headshell" for Dynavector, who was marketing a line of low output MCs, as well as a tonearm. Remote powered, CM860 FETs. Dynavector didn't end up using it, but it was sold for a little while by the late, lamented Audio Dimensions.
But with modern packaging and hopefully some improvements in op-amps etc 
would it be worth some thought. Just curious, as I said I'm doing some silly small layout at the moment, 10 layer HDI, very weight conscious, so I was pondering the possibility of what circuitry you could get in a head shell. Also the evolution of sensors for engines and similar, and how they have gone from dumb basic transducers, to remote intelligent units connected by the CAN bus.
Cheers.
would it be worth some thought. Just curious, as I said I'm doing some silly small layout at the moment, 10 layer HDI, very weight conscious, so I was pondering the possibility of what circuitry you could get in a head shell. Also the evolution of sensors for engines and similar, and how they have gone from dumb basic transducers, to remote intelligent units connected by the CAN bus.Cheers.
Having grown up with a piano, he imagined piano (i.e., equal temperament) pitch to be perfect. But in his defense he was about 13 during this phase, and to his credit it didn't last very long. I ran into him last at a Hear Now "festival" in Venice CA, which he'd had a hand in organizing. My friend Byron Adams refers to the folks around that group as "the avant-garde ghetto"
At one of the concerts I heard a violin solo that involved so much mistreatment of the instrument that I whispered to my friend Ursula that I almost expected the performer to set fire to it, a la Jimi Hendrix. The audience was wildly enthusiastic. Come to think of it, that was the last of their events I attended.
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That's astute --- no fun if the buyer can't substitute preamps.
When I listened, circa 1977, to music from various sources at his house, then in Tarzana, Keith Johnson was using a modified AR turntable, that ancient springy one, and had at least moved his preamp to the body of the 'table "where it belongs!" as he said when I asked about the holes in the base.
Well guys, I have been complaining about excessive distortion in hi K ceramic caps for the last 39 years. Showed measurement in print in 1978. It is a wonderful thing the EDN 'exposes' this problem to today's engineering audience.
Of course, NPO is better, and even very linear, but how about DA? No thanks, I will stick to polystyrene when I can.
Of course, NPO is better, and even very linear, but how about DA? No thanks, I will stick to polystyrene when I can.
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He's also committed to one tonearm. Fashion audio customers hate not being able to mix and match and swap frequently.
Audio Dimensions memories
Always liked building phono stage in turntable base, also built one with fets in the headshell when I worked at Audio Dimensions in mid seventies but Ike wasn't interested , when I used current source plate loads and leds in cathode he thought I was crazy until I played it for him, then published it in The Update along with my current source diff amp front ends for Dyna tube power amps.
Lost touch with ADI when I was hired my Mike Elliot to work on Hybrid Class A amplifier and IRS speaker system at Infinity with Bascomb King. Never heard what happened with ADI but ran in to co-founder Roger Stovold at Newport show a few weeks ago after 35 years but he had left there before I did , never heard anything about Ike since I left.
Always liked building phono stage in turntable base, also built one with fets in the headshell when I worked at Audio Dimensions in mid seventies but Ike wasn't interested , when I used current source plate loads and leds in cathode he thought I was crazy until I played it for him, then published it in The Update along with my current source diff amp front ends for Dyna tube power amps.
Lost touch with ADI when I was hired my Mike Elliot to work on Hybrid Class A amplifier and IRS speaker system at Infinity with Bascomb King. Never heard what happened with ADI but ran in to co-founder Roger Stovold at Newport show a few weeks ago after 35 years but he had left there before I did , never heard anything about Ike since I left.
Ike moved to Baltimore and got out of audio completely. From what I understand through some mutual friends, he developed hearing problems as well, so refocused his efforts into editing and publishing. Nice guy, he's missed.
I still have a bunch of my Updates. I sadly lost the one with the articles about the no-holds-barred preamp and room heater OTL amp that Murray and I built.
I still have a bunch of my Updates. I sadly lost the one with the articles about the no-holds-barred preamp and room heater OTL amp that Murray and I built.
must have been falling on deaf ears among those incredibly stupid "audio designers" you keep complaining about here John – probably the “design by ear” crowd
after all any "meter reader" would have caught out hi-K ceramic distortion trivially during measurement - if they hadn't actually read the datasheets, seen the Vcoeff to start, restricted use to non-signal path
Pease graphed NP0 DA - as you well know - it ranks better than Mica, competitive with some film types, with manufacturer being a larger variable
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Yes, I remember how cheerfully some people said they could make a label that said CE, if that was what the product needed!Remember that the Chinese are copying everything.
But everybody is getting more attentive, I think, these days.
Out of curiosity RNMarsh, why?
Though my initial thought was not putting the whole pre-amp, though with todays smallish op-amp and fet packaging that would be possible, but just an intermediate signal conditioning (line driver) to boost the signal from the minute voltage put out by the cartridge, so a stronger signal is transmitted to the pre-amp.
Though my initial thought was not putting the whole pre-amp, though with todays smallish op-amp and fet packaging that would be possible, but just an intermediate signal conditioning (line driver) to boost the signal from the minute voltage put out by the cartridge, so a stronger signal is transmitted to the pre-amp.
How would you corellate the motion to signal error? We have a 3 axis one that runs on 1uA. It's for pacemakers and I joke that it's a "I fell down and can't get up" signal.
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