Preamp upgrade re: capacitors

[craigen]

I'd appreciate it if someone could look at this diagram and see which capacitor upgrades would have the most significant upgrade effect--if any. It's a ChiFi preamp. Thank you.

 

[vinylkid58]

It's a ChiFi preamp.

Which really doesn't mean anything. Do you have a link to a schematic with values? Guessing this is full of 12AX7 tubes?

jeff

 

[craigen]

That's all the Aliexpress website provides. Yes it has three 12AX7 tubes

 

[vinylkid58]

Oh, I get it now. This is a copy/clone of a McIntosh c22 phono stage?

jeff

 

[analog_sa]

This is a copy/clone of a McIntosh c22 phono stage?

A phono stage minus the RIAA part?

 

[craigen]

Well, it's billed as a "preamp" stage. Here is more information about the parts used. I want to know if by swapping out a specific pair of caps it could be "better."

 

[vinylkid58]

A phono stage minus the RIAA part?

Exactly. Just take the riaa out of the feedback loop, and voila, you now have a line stage. 😉

Here is more information about the parts used. I want to know if by swapping out a specific pair of caps it could be "better."

Hard to know. These kits are full of cheap parts. Problem is, you could spend a couple of hundred bucks on caps and be no further ahead.

jeff

 

[ejp]

Well you can start by throwing the first two stages away. You don’t need gain in a preamp unless you are using phono, in which case you also need RIAA.