Although few, those MM carts with line contact stylus and those even fewer with a boron cantilever too, sound more refined than the norm. Coincidentally I was listening to one such MM at a friend's not many days ago. On a Technics SL-1200 MK2 via UFSP to vintage Luxman amps driving expensive reissue mini speakers. The Lux preamp has an MC step-up trans inside and a nice discrete MM circuit but it could not compete as standalone vs the UFSP through line input. Not in the same ballpark.
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Yes, I understand that. I just wanted to get these up and running to make sure that I had assembled the boards correctly before putting them into a chassis. Thanks for the heads-up.
I just got back into vinyl this past winter. I have been rotating through a collection of vintage cartridges: Audio Technica LS-500, Micro-Acoustics 2002e, Empire 2004, and a more recent Rega Carbon. I also have an Audio Technica AT13EA, a Shure M75 and a Shure M55e. I am not really an audiophile, more of an explorer, and an intermittent one at that.
I finally managed to complete the mechanical side off the UFSP, i am glad I build it, sounds fantastic using the Mofi Ultradeck turntable with the Mofi Mastertracker MM element.
Absolutely silent despite the PSU inside the case, I shielded the power cables and trafos.
I used Charcroft Z-foil for R1/17 which I believe made a positive change. Mogami 2497 interconnects. Preamp is the DCG3.
Thanks Salas for supporting the community here with very satisfying designs and advice.
Also off course Teabag for making the kits available.
Absolutely silent despite the PSU inside the case, I shielded the power cables and trafos.
I used Charcroft Z-foil for R1/17 which I believe made a positive change. Mogami 2497 interconnects. Preamp is the DCG3.
Thanks Salas for supporting the community here with very satisfying designs and advice.
Also off course Teabag for making the kits available.
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You are welcome. Congratulations for your fine build. 
*As this is a 3mV MM cartridge, you may also try the 43dB next gain setting for a comparison.
*As this is a 3mV MM cartridge, you may also try the 43dB next gain setting for a comparison.
I tried, but I used on hand toroidy 2x14Vac 50VA trafos which gave me around 30Vac in circuit, I will order higher voltage trafos in a while. I have only 7V drop on the PSU now. Gain is not an issue now.
I was planning on buying a Toroidy Supreme 50VA 30x2 transformer because I know my wall voltage is a little high, like 118v or so, therefore any transformer I use will put out higher than listed. I was afraid if I did the 32v x2 I would have too high RAW voltage. Does the community agree? I could do the 31v x2 since I have to have them custom make it anyway. This is assuming the Supreme toroidy is worth it over an Antek - huge difference in cost. I am doing a one box solution with a steel plate for separation like Asanden's design.
Either secondary voltages will work safely. In custom order you can determine primary spec too. Regarding single box installation and mains frequency hum interference, success can be achieved easier with MM gain but with twenty dB higher MC gain its tougher. Beyond well shielded transformers and metal separators, mains cabling alone can induce low level hum to input signal lines and input stage components. Dressing, relative orientation, and shielding of cables is important too.
When I built my first phono pre—FSP, non-Ultra—I followed the normal prescription of PSU in separate box. On first fire-up, on the bench doing a headphone noise diagnosis, my friend and I were surprised to hear something. It wasn't a quiet system... then we realized that the PSU was sitting right next to the amp! It was fun to attenuate the quietness by moving the PSU around. I learned a lot that day....And running MC carts pretty much exclusively—I don't think it's worth the risk or extra engineering time with such a good preamp—I still keep trying to find something I like better 😆. I have the PSU on the floor—and the amp at turntable height....Zero anything noise-wise into speaks with an Antek tranny BTW (I do habitually put these in the steel cans Antek makes for them).
It's going to take a lot of Beer to listen to my stack of 538 albums. Took me awhile to complete amp, life and things.
The preamp is dead quiet. It brings me back to my college days, when everyone had vinyl and a big ole amp and big ole speakers. I am using a $200.00 Technics turntable and it sounds outstanding!!!!
Going to buy myself an RT-85 Fluance, for my retirement present. American Airline pilot for 35 years, wife said I can take a couple of months off........ Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out.....By Bruce Springsteen just
started, gonna get back to this later.
The preamp is dead quiet. It brings me back to my college days, when everyone had vinyl and a big ole amp and big ole speakers. I am using a $200.00 Technics turntable and it sounds outstanding!!!!
Going to buy myself an RT-85 Fluance, for my retirement present. American Airline pilot for 35 years, wife said I can take a couple of months off........ Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out.....By Bruce Springsteen just
started, gonna get back to this later.
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A well done build. Beyond the fidelity, it brings back good memories. Congratulations and happy listening!
Hey Scott sorry it took so long to reply, the aluminum cross bar is 1/2 x1/2 x 1/16 purchased at "HomeDepot" 5 bucks and 48 cents for 3 foot piece. The nylon standoffs are from "amazon" ,for the life of me I can not find a part number but
put "nylon standoffs m3" in the "Search Bar" and you will find them. I purchased them to mount the "shunt regulator and amp board". I didn't separate the two boards so the standoff holes didn't line up with the holes on the base of the
enclosure. The nylon standoffs would correct that problem just adjust them individually until the holes line up, all the while keeping the circuit boards "square" within the enclosure. I soon realized I could not use them to mount the boards
because I had already soldered the voltage regulators to the board using a short standoff, so the next problem would have been "How do I Heatsink the regulators with 5/16 space between them and the floor....................????..........
Somebody get the "Dewalt" had to drill one hole for each board to mount them, even the voltage regulators lined up.
All of the above came to pass because I did not want to drill holes in the bottom exterior panel of my power supply enclosure. I don't know when or how I figured, that an "M3" nut fit the rail of that "Galaxy" enclosure but when I did all sorts
of options became available for mounting. The aluminum angle seemed like the best solution.................???????.............. "SOME BEACH" the capacitors extend over the top of the enclosure, when mounted on top of the cross bars using
5mm brass standoffs....................????????..............Time for a BEER.............???????......... HEY somebody get me that bag of 50 "L" shaped standoffs........... REDNECK NIRVANA......it fits.
Once again the "L" shaped standoffs takes a lot of the exactness <<is that a word??? out of the measurement. The "M3" hardware keeps the rail from sliding back and forth.
put "nylon standoffs m3" in the "Search Bar" and you will find them. I purchased them to mount the "shunt regulator and amp board". I didn't separate the two boards so the standoff holes didn't line up with the holes on the base of the
enclosure. The nylon standoffs would correct that problem just adjust them individually until the holes line up, all the while keeping the circuit boards "square" within the enclosure. I soon realized I could not use them to mount the boards
because I had already soldered the voltage regulators to the board using a short standoff, so the next problem would have been "How do I Heatsink the regulators with 5/16 space between them and the floor....................????..........
Somebody get the "Dewalt" had to drill one hole for each board to mount them, even the voltage regulators lined up.
All of the above came to pass because I did not want to drill holes in the bottom exterior panel of my power supply enclosure. I don't know when or how I figured, that an "M3" nut fit the rail of that "Galaxy" enclosure but when I did all sorts
of options became available for mounting. The aluminum angle seemed like the best solution.................???????.............. "SOME BEACH" the capacitors extend over the top of the enclosure, when mounted on top of the cross bars using
5mm brass standoffs....................????????..............Time for a BEER.............???????......... HEY somebody get me that bag of 50 "L" shaped standoffs........... REDNECK NIRVANA......it fits.
Once again the "L" shaped standoffs takes a lot of the exactness <<is that a word??? out of the measurement. The "M3" hardware keeps the rail from sliding back and forth.