Preparing for my fourth " russian " winter in a row, I'm trying to make my third iterration of a d3a phono preamp, but as usual , I can't afford mc step up transformers or I just don't want to have such things...not sure about it.
Here's the thing: I have lots of D3A tubes , lots of NE5534 of all manufacturers and again lots of 2sk117.
I want to make a phono preamp that I can easily sell if the russians invade my country and pay for my flight ticket to New Zealand.
Thus it probably must be the best phono preamp ever made on planet Earth...That's easy to achieve from a purely technical perspective.I only have to throw in all the best components and try to get utterly useless SNR figures like -110db for MC inputs ignoring all physics laws...I could probably claim it anyway with no real effort...
But I'm sure it needs to look cool too. Thus, I'm sacrificing my second Transbridge TBM4 amplifier.I could use their INA110 op amps for a purely balanced input and the other goldish INA102 for dc offset-ing something that's usually utterly unnecessary to be offset...Anyway if I use 4 x d3a tubes on the input in balanced mode I will keep the INA117 only for their 24 k gold appearance. I can throw even more gold in it and create a front end tapestry composed from about 20 golden 12 Bit DAC... By the way I have the E810F since2012 and never paid them so I might need to buy two flight tickets to New Zealand to pay my debts...
What would a guy with $$$ perspective say I should choose or do?
Here's the thing: I have lots of D3A tubes , lots of NE5534 of all manufacturers and again lots of 2sk117.
I want to make a phono preamp that I can easily sell if the russians invade my country and pay for my flight ticket to New Zealand.
Thus it probably must be the best phono preamp ever made on planet Earth...That's easy to achieve from a purely technical perspective.I only have to throw in all the best components and try to get utterly useless SNR figures like -110db for MC inputs ignoring all physics laws...I could probably claim it anyway with no real effort...
But I'm sure it needs to look cool too. Thus, I'm sacrificing my second Transbridge TBM4 amplifier.I could use their INA110 op amps for a purely balanced input and the other goldish INA102 for dc offset-ing something that's usually utterly unnecessary to be offset...Anyway if I use 4 x d3a tubes on the input in balanced mode I will keep the INA117 only for their 24 k gold appearance. I can throw even more gold in it and create a front end tapestry composed from about 20 golden 12 Bit DAC... By the way I have the E810F since2012 and never paid them so I might need to buy two flight tickets to New Zealand to pay my debts...
What would a guy with $$$ perspective say I should choose or do?
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Why not suggest a swap in the DIYAUDIO forum -- a pair of D3a's for 2 step up transformers.
When SY wrote his DIYAUDIO article "His Master's Noise" D3a's were about $8 each. Today about 10x that.
When SY wrote his DIYAUDIO article "His Master's Noise" D3a's were about $8 each. Today about 10x that.
Two years ago when I built the luxman cl34 clone I wanted to trade 2 x d3a for two good 12ax7.What happened is that I was asked 4 x d3a in exchange for 2 x military grade american 12ax7 so I understood that I should never make the first offer or someone will try to trick me....
Besides I have a lot of low quality step-up transformers and the good ones are valued more than my d3a...I can live without transformers cause I have no mc cart anyway...
Besides I have a lot of low quality step-up transformers and the good ones are valued more than my d3a...I can live without transformers cause I have no mc cart anyway...
It depends on weather you want to just kill time or build an amazing S/Q phono amp.
My recommendation for B, would be to build a Hypnotoad AD797 MM/MC phono amp.
(see Sachin. he's a member here, the thread is on the Audio karma site)
This phono amp will wipe the floor of any commercial available unit up to say $3000.
If you want to go tube the build a EAR clone. The gain is high enough to support MC, Ive run a Denon 103 through it, using a RCA 'Y' plug to load down to 400 ohms.
Cheers
My recommendation for B, would be to build a Hypnotoad AD797 MM/MC phono amp.
(see Sachin. he's a member here, the thread is on the Audio karma site)
This phono amp will wipe the floor of any commercial available unit up to say $3000.
If you want to go tube the build a EAR clone. The gain is high enough to support MC, Ive run a Denon 103 through it, using a RCA 'Y' plug to load down to 400 ohms.
Cheers
I don't have mc carts yet I don't believe that hypnotoad will wipe the floor with any phono preamp over 50 bucks worh of components.
As for tubes I already built 2 based on ecc83 one passive, one active(luxman cl34 clone) and 2 based on d3a based on my own designs and I can hardly believe in 99.99% of all the current " high end" recommendations running on diyaudio, but thank you for suggestions!
So I dare to say that I only have left with dillemas of choosing between my own designs for at least 8 years now!
Yet I thought of trying one more design that's not gemerally mine : John Roberts P10 with balanced INA110 frontend.I actually opened a thread on it:
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/...plete-schematic-with-bom.391604/#post-7159468
After I finish with it , from that moment on, if I'll still be alive, I'll make preamps based on D3A and e88cc for at least 5 years cause I have about 100 unused low noise tubes.
As for tubes I already built 2 based on ecc83 one passive, one active(luxman cl34 clone) and 2 based on d3a based on my own designs and I can hardly believe in 99.99% of all the current " high end" recommendations running on diyaudio, but thank you for suggestions!
So I dare to say that I only have left with dillemas of choosing between my own designs for at least 8 years now!
Yet I thought of trying one more design that's not gemerally mine : John Roberts P10 with balanced INA110 frontend.I actually opened a thread on it:
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/...plete-schematic-with-bom.391604/#post-7159468
After I finish with it , from that moment on, if I'll still be alive, I'll make preamps based on D3A and e88cc for at least 5 years cause I have about 100 unused low noise tubes.
Well the Sakura 47 labs MC phono amp (which I have, well the upgraded clone version) has even less components & is bettered by the AD797 unit.
''This is what was written by ARTHUR SALVATORE - from the Reference Components wrote The original was one of the top 5 phono amps available anywhere.
He said ''In the sonic arena, the Sakura almost equals the stock SA-9 in transparency, immediacy and dynamic qualities. This makes it a (solid-state) breakthrough, just like their power amplifier. Sadly, it has no volume controls, so a passive or an active line stage is still necessary. The price of this unit has gone up to US$3,900, and the Aesthetix (US$36,000!!) is still superior, with acoustical music, in the sonic areas I feel are most important, but the Sakura has a number of sonic advantages over the Aesthetix, plus no problems with noisy tubes or "warm-up", since it can be left on all the time, this is a tough choice.''
Cheers
''This is what was written by ARTHUR SALVATORE - from the Reference Components wrote The original was one of the top 5 phono amps available anywhere.
He said ''In the sonic arena, the Sakura almost equals the stock SA-9 in transparency, immediacy and dynamic qualities. This makes it a (solid-state) breakthrough, just like their power amplifier. Sadly, it has no volume controls, so a passive or an active line stage is still necessary. The price of this unit has gone up to US$3,900, and the Aesthetix (US$36,000!!) is still superior, with acoustical music, in the sonic areas I feel are most important, but the Sakura has a number of sonic advantages over the Aesthetix, plus no problems with noisy tubes or "warm-up", since it can be left on all the time, this is a tough choice.''
Cheers
Man, give me a break, this is not a high end reviewer's magazine...it's an electronics forum where more often than not people know the real value of all high end gimmicks.
I got you , but I already told I'm not interested in MC cart interfaces ...If I'd do it I can make one of the best ever made for less than 30 bucks...
I got you , but I already told I'm not interested in MC cart interfaces ...If I'd do it I can make one of the best ever made for less than 30 bucks...
