Hi All. I've been lurking on this site for awhile and just set up an account. Hope to be a consistent member.
Anyways, I have a Parks Audio Budgie tube preamp that I LOVE. I was to try out MC cart (Hana SL) to replace the Exact 2 on my Rega Planar 3 which is approaching 1,000 hours of use. To do this, I need a Step-up Transformer. I missed the opportunity to get the Budgie Cinemag SUT that Parks Audio sold for a few years. I read that someone on this site may make a Cinemag based SUTs (or another design even)? I would love to purchase one. Does anyone know anyone that makes these as a side hustle?
Thanks!
Mike
Anyways, I have a Parks Audio Budgie tube preamp that I LOVE. I was to try out MC cart (Hana SL) to replace the Exact 2 on my Rega Planar 3 which is approaching 1,000 hours of use. To do this, I need a Step-up Transformer. I missed the opportunity to get the Budgie Cinemag SUT that Parks Audio sold for a few years. I read that someone on this site may make a Cinemag based SUTs (or another design even)? I would love to purchase one. Does anyone know anyone that makes these as a side hustle?
Thanks!
Mike
I have bought a Cinemag SUT from this Ebay seller as well as had him build me a nice SUT with transformers I supplied him. Very easy to deal with and his builds seem well done.
Ned Clayton
Ned Clayton
Thanks! Do you think I’m stupid for wanting to stick with my parks audio budgie preamp With a transformer to switch to a HANA LOMC cart? I might try to demo the eat petit globe tube preamp, but I LOVE my budgie. Most quality phono stages that have an MC setting are above 2k, and based on what others have told me the budgie can beat most tube stages below around $2k. Not sure what I should do, but would love to have your thoughts!
I do have a local EAT distributor so this is something I can demo. Other brands not so much.
I do have a local EAT distributor so this is something I can demo. Other brands not so much.
I really can't help you there as I know nothing about the Budgie. But I think that if you want to run LOMC or LOMI carts you will need a SUT in the 1:10 to 1:20 range. Remember you may have to change the loading as the SUT reduces the built-in phono stage load by 100 to 400. So utilizing a 1:10 SUT and if the Budgie has the usual 47KΩloading resistance, you will end up reflecting 470Ω instead of 47K. This may not be critical but for some carts it is.
Cinemag's best SUTs are sold exclusively by their subsidiary, Quadratic Audio.
https://www.quadraticaudio.com/
Some people seem to think the Quadratic MC-1 competes with some of the top few in the world, and does so at a favorable price. One review: https://www.quadraticaudio.com/PDF/The-Ear-Quadratic-MC-1.pdf
If looking for something lower cost, you might give Quadratic a call. Maybe they can tell you if anything of interest in the pipeline.
https://www.quadraticaudio.com/
Some people seem to think the Quadratic MC-1 competes with some of the top few in the world, and does so at a favorable price. One review: https://www.quadraticaudio.com/PDF/The-Ear-Quadratic-MC-1.pdf
If looking for something lower cost, you might give Quadratic a call. Maybe they can tell you if anything of interest in the pipeline.