Good to see Nelson went through the same spider wiring breadboard technique the rest of we old farts did 😂😂😂
Joachim Gerhard is another yet who uses this method for development stages.
Actually, I've been playing around with "3-D" arrangements of layered PCBs and short component-to-component traces. Unbuilt as yet.
Seeing this prototype again reminded me that it was the initial inspiration for this recreation.
Seeing this prototype again reminded me that it was the initial inspiration for this recreation.
That tech guy is very skillfull.ive learnt alot from him. He did point out the custom perspex box which covered up the cheap execution and construction. Probably mr evans bought a bunch of exstock bread bins,had a brainwave to ripp audiofiles off.called it exclusive and sold it for a lot. The fact that it is for vynal would have suckered people to part with there money.
I love this channel and must have watched all his videos. I know Mark's attitude towards audiophile stuff, in this video, from 11:52, you can hear him say"now whilst a lot of audiophile stuff is complete nonsense, there is at least some science behind this".
His thoroughness when repairing stuff, electronic and mechanical, is astonishing. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets to repair more high end audio stuff in the future.
The reverse engineering shown in this video is probably to attract attention to the (paid) online tutorials he has introduced aimed at people interested in repairing stuff and setting up a repair shop themselves.
And as for the validity of asking £25,000 for a collection of PSUs and opamps... That's for everyone to decide for themselves.
That 25k RIAA was a total joke, reading the description on the site alone makes you feel like you're getting scammed. I dare say just about everyone on this forum can build a better engineered and probably sounding product! Only six made a year probably because the supply of suckers that big on a given year is very limited.
And if those potential buyers read this forum and watch mr fix it there will be even less purchases.
You’ve determined all that from sight alone, have you? Without having listened to, nor having measured it? The product description is obviously intended for buyers seeking emotional satisfaction in their purchase. It’s simply marketing puffery, which is not the same thing as fraud. As the old sales truism goes, you sell the sizzle not the steak, which doesn’t necessarily indicate that you won’t find the steak absolutely delicious. For all we know, the unit might deliver exactly the sort of listening experience which it purchasers are hoping that it does.
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Agree with this. To know how it sounds you have to listen it and the price tag is for people who don't have to ask price.
But, hey, there is a challenge : build and design a Diy riaa which sounds better than Tom Evans mastergroove and is a lot of cheaper. Maybe these designs just exist somewhere...
But, hey, there is a challenge : build and design a Diy riaa which sounds better than Tom Evans mastergroove and is a lot of cheaper. Maybe these designs just exist somewhere...
Try this:
a Pearl 3 with separate super regulators for each channel fed by separate (pre)regulated PSUs located a couple of metres away in separate enclosure(s).
That would mimic the power supply approach of the Groove.
There is matching of some components you could do as well to imitate that aspect of Evans' design.
A lot of this effort would typically be characterized as "hobbyist"... few manufacturers would take the trouble.
But we would. (and maybe so would Tom...)
the Pearl 3 is available as a kit in the store as are boards for the Super Regs.
of course to do a fair comparison you'd need a Groove in the house.
a Pearl 3 with separate super regulators for each channel fed by separate (pre)regulated PSUs located a couple of metres away in separate enclosure(s).
That would mimic the power supply approach of the Groove.
There is matching of some components you could do as well to imitate that aspect of Evans' design.
A lot of this effort would typically be characterized as "hobbyist"... few manufacturers would take the trouble.
But we would. (and maybe so would Tom...)
the Pearl 3 is available as a kit in the store as are boards for the Super Regs.
of course to do a fair comparison you'd need a Groove in the house.
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Google this: 'Tom Evans Mastergroove'
The model being shredded by many here appears to have been superseded. The current models are a lot less expensive.
Of those who have posted above I suspect that the vast majority have never heard any of these phono amps. If I am correct
in this view it does seem vastly unfair to level the more extreme criticism posted above.
I have one of Bonsai's phono/RIAA amps which he built for me - as I have not yet heard it due to TT problems I cannot comment other than it is beautifully built as are the pre and power amps which he built for me. If the phono/RIAA unit is as good as the amps I will be more than delighted but not surprised. The price of these is lower than I thought possible for quality units.
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That's right skip, and I don't need to, I know a scam when I see one. There is zero value in this product. I have listened to fantastically sounding and priced system so I know a thing or two about them. I doubt I would have a chance to listen to this one, if not for the fact the manufacturer wouldn't dare show face at a major audio show with such crap. Although I believe in value for money, I am not opposed to expensive products. I would happily dish out that kind of money for Phasemation or Silbatone, just to name two very dear to my heart.
So, you’ve neither listened to it, or measured it, and yet, somehow, have authoritative conclusions about it.
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Bonsai's stuff are amazing by comparison! Solid technical foundations, prices are a steal. Total apples-oranges comparison.
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In all honesty, for this kind of stuff, you really don't need to, to knock it for sheep shearing mumbo jumbo.
You can say a lot of things about me, authoritative is not one of them.
I am the average joe and careful shopper.To a degree, it is not relevant how it sounds. First challenge for any commercial product is to survive shipment. The mechanical design needs to be robust, because if it doesn't arrive fully functional who says how it will sound (and obviously, I mean regular shipping, not clear and obvious mishandling as is evident in the youtube video). Also, any commercial endeavour will need to provide customer service, and just stating it cannot be repaired is not cutting it (especially since it could clearly be repaired).
Those are the hurdles you need to take as a business owner, before the sound is taken into consideration.
The mechanical design is just extremely amateuristic, for comparison, look at one of Nelson Pass's products.
And you are right, it might sound good, we can't judge that from here.
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Its a clever circuit to get the best out of low-noise opamps, and I don't think they have to be as well matched for input offset voltage as he reckons since their outputs share via 100R resistors. If the input opamps were, say, AD797's the 8-way parallel input section has 320pV/√Hz or so voltage noise density. However, for example four ZTX951's in parallel would be simpler and more compact and perform better. The crude Faraday cages would I think be improved structurally and shielding-wise by using metal standoffs.
The reason for the internal damage was that the PSU boards with heatsinks were only supported at two points instead of the required 3+ points needed for proper support - mechanically its pretty shoddy and at that price some custom machined support brackets would have been viable.
I agree that the lack of connectorization is pretty amateur for such a piece of kit, and the board-to-board wiring was wince-provoking.
Given the price tag the input loading selection should have been via something better than DIP-switches (are those even available in thick gold plated option?)
And lastly expensively engineered equipment should be using Allen or Torx head fasteners throughout (!)
The reason for the internal damage was that the PSU boards with heatsinks were only supported at two points instead of the required 3+ points needed for proper support - mechanically its pretty shoddy and at that price some custom machined support brackets would have been viable.
I agree that the lack of connectorization is pretty amateur for such a piece of kit, and the board-to-board wiring was wince-provoking.
Given the price tag the input loading selection should have been via something better than DIP-switches (are those even available in thick gold plated option?)
And lastly expensively engineered equipment should be using Allen or Torx head fasteners throughout (!)
@Jarno
I think what Mark was told was that he wouldn't likely be able to repair it. With equipment that is built with matched components -- like John Curl's Vendetta and apparently Evans stuff -- the usual advice is not to mess about with it... get it repaired at the factory. I understand that TEAD offers to repair it's gear. And does.
Mark was lucky that the failed component was just a capacitor and not a matched device.
Looks aside, the only gear that I've heard about that has a reputation for surviving egregious mistreatment was/ is Bryston.
The world is full of stuff that looks marvelous and doesn't function or last. And vice versa.
I think what Mark was told was that he wouldn't likely be able to repair it. With equipment that is built with matched components -- like John Curl's Vendetta and apparently Evans stuff -- the usual advice is not to mess about with it... get it repaired at the factory. I understand that TEAD offers to repair it's gear. And does.
Mark was lucky that the failed component was just a capacitor and not a matched device.
Looks aside, the only gear that I've heard about that has a reputation for surviving egregious mistreatment was/ is Bryston.
The world is full of stuff that looks marvelous and doesn't function or last. And vice versa.
Most of the serious PA brands are built robustly, and that is what Bryston used as inspiration for mechanicals. Maybe a bit overbuilt. I think a brand like Carver did this as well.
Manufacturers don't want to see their equipment again because it fails during regular transport, so it is designed to survive that. The TEAD unit is not. As you mention, custom pcb brackets are totally viable at this pricepoint.
Manufacturers don't want to see their equipment again because it fails during regular transport, so it is designed to survive that. The TEAD unit is not. As you mention, custom pcb brackets are totally viable at this pricepoint.
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