John Curl's Blowtorch preamplifier part III

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What do you guys think of SSM2019 and INA163 for use in phono preamplifiers?

The SSM2019 delivers some of the finest vinyl-produced playback experiences. Whether retrieving the instrumental virtuosity, rich tone, and studio ambience, the SSM2019 reproduces music with fine transparency, note extension, and tone, and shone at micro- and macrodynamics.

The INA163 brings out humanity and depth of feeling and timbral naturalness from every recording — it is a joyful communicator. The INA163 almost entirely removes itself from the music to let it speak. What unique sonic characteristics it did have were of warmth, a grain-free treble, and a certain delicacy, all of which complemented its whole-cloth sense of openness and coherency. The INA163 knows how to work the room, charming every listener and LP in earshot.
 
What would you recommend to replace the OPA2134 Dimitri? I chose this part more than a decade ago to replace the AD712, because it had better offset. I haven't 'subjectively' evaluated anything else for awhile.

The OPA2134 is a decent part but the OP needs class A bias, as you have done. This makes a significant difference. There are better parts available now from TI and one in particular has specifically very low CM distortion due to IP cap modulation however I can't remember which one it is. Check data sheets of their later OPA's.

T
 
any and all PS dielectrics have been increasing in cost as the film sources close. Only one really good manufacture of PS left. I mean really good (no pin holes and other weirdness ) in thin film. REL uses them as only source now.

REL is mfr and not a distributor or wholesaler (unless to equipment mfr). They do not stock inventory but build to order.

Get your quality PS type before cost are too high and vol too low and then no more PS. That circus act in Washington DC wont help imported material costs either.


thx-RNMarsh
 
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2017 technology wizardry in action: a prototype microwave down converter. 6GHz digital synthesizis LO with -135dBc/Hz phase noise @1MHz, a LO gain stage to bring the signal at +11dBm for the mixer, switched 8GHz input, passive double balanced mixer, 5 pole 2GHz Chebyshev LPF, 2 stages of gain for a +20dBm 10MHz...2GHz output, output power zero bias schottky diode detector. All RF PCB traces are CPW. Microcontroller controlling the synthesizer over SPI. Triple switching mode power supply followed by low noise LDO regulators for +3.3V, +5V, +10V. The whole thing uses 5W of power, not bad at all.

Now waiting for the enclosure (2.65"x2.375") milled from a solid billet of aerospace grade aluminum, of course (trivial 6061 aluminum would definitely destroy the sound). Unfortunately, parts (smallest SMD is 0201) were not cryo treated and blessed by Tibetan Monks before hand soldering. But the result still sounds great. The sound stage and the sounds of the musicians' instruments are not being re-created. Rather, they are being revealed, as if the instruments are melting away some opaque, impermeable substance that otherwise encases and obscures the sound.

Meantime, in a country far, far away, some are still fighting the 741 slew rate limitation as observed 50 years ago.
 

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