Just out of curiosity: What's, in your opinion, the ultimate diy phono pre (incl schematic pls).
I would especially be interested in all tube circuits (maybe using d3a's, c3g's, or something other exotic or crazy like a dht?), but I would of course also like to know of your hybrid or ss phono pre if you consider it to be "THE" phono pre.
I'm totally aware that there's nothing like a objectively "best" phono pre and I'm just interested in your personal opinion.
I would especially be interested in all tube circuits (maybe using d3a's, c3g's, or something other exotic or crazy like a dht?), but I would of course also like to know of your hybrid or ss phono pre if you consider it to be "THE" phono pre.
I'm totally aware that there's nothing like a objectively "best" phono pre and I'm just interested in your personal opinion.
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Yeah, but I had already clicked on submit when I realised what title I had given this thread
Nothing specific -just include what phono cartridge you would use with your best diy phono pre.
However, if you want to submit a diy phono pre I could maybe try it would be either for the fixed coil Soundsmith Carmen Mk2 or the moving magnet Ortofon 2m black.
If you want tube for MM levels such as the soundsmith then the Various Muscovite designs Kevinkr did are worth looking at. He used them as transformer coupled MC stages but drop the Tx and ready to roll. I think there were 3 or 4 in the series in the end, all discussed on here.
Now I tread the path less trodden and like balanced input phono stages so if I were to want to build a tube MM stage I would pick the Equal Opportunity that SY designed and was published in Linear audio. Boards for this come up now and again. It's heresy to pure tube types as it uses a lot of silicon for various non-gain functions and is not a beginner project, but has superlative performance and is a lot different from most other designs. PCBs are available now and again and I may even have a spare set somewhere.
At the end of the day there are many to chose from and you need to work out what might float your boat.
Now I tread the path less trodden and like balanced input phono stages so if I were to want to build a tube MM stage I would pick the Equal Opportunity that SY designed and was published in Linear audio. Boards for this come up now and again. It's heresy to pure tube types as it uses a lot of silicon for various non-gain functions and is not a beginner project, but has superlative performance and is a lot different from most other designs. PCBs are available now and again and I may even have a spare set somewhere.
At the end of the day there are many to chose from and you need to work out what might float your boat.
+1
I´m currently running Nagards X-Ono clone with nothing spared component/quality wise. I currently switch between Shure V15-IIII, ZYX Ultimate 100, Ikeda-9ts, Sumiko Palo Santos Presentation & a newly retipped with boron/microridge Ortofon Rondo Bronze. The X-Ono easily reveals the difference between the cartridges. It´s so good, that I´m currently building Nagards SX-Ono, just to get the ability to get 4 inputs, remote controlled settings like loading, gain, capacitance and input select from the listening spot.
Yes... i´ts expensive, but my.....is it worth it
The Real problem with choosing a phono preamp is what eq and power amplifier you're going to use after it. The best designs are composite , preamps + amplifiers and that is because of the dynamic range you need for a phono preamp which is not really compatible with any amp following it. If you go with discrete semiconductor , for best experience you need high voltage and very linear preamps plus amplifiers with the tone controls placed in the feedback path as there aren't many control tone eq that can take the output of a high voltage phono preamp with ease. If you go the valve way, the degree of soft compression that valves are usually prone to can adapt your preamp to any amp.The discrete versions that are able to softly compress the dynamic range aren't many and not all of them sound well enough for any ear.
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