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Initial review: TCC TC-750 phono preamp.

Please do update us on your finding. I also have one collecting dust. I did find TC-750 to be harsh, but definitely better than the built in phono stage in the receiver.
 
Installed a TC-750 today so that I can use phono on my Hafler 945, definitely sounds better than the built in phono stage in a Toshiba preamp that I was using.

Good buy, for sure. Unit is heavier and better built than expected.

.
 
G'day all, I'm using my TCC TC-750 quite a bit of late and really love it. It has that smooth and laid back discrete transistor sound and really sounds great.

Admittedly I have modified mine to use a 12 volt gel cell pure DC supply and I've replaced the default 220 pf input capacitors with 100 pf capacitors to optimise the input capacitance loading in my set up.

The mods all help to show off the inexpensive TCC TC-750 to its best, and it is very good indeed. :yes: Regards, Felix aka catman.
 
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beatcomber said:
Yes indeed.

Right now I'm enjoying some Miles Davis on a '70s Technics SL-1200 through an ART DJ PRO-II preamp on the living room hifi (@ 47k loading) and I'm not hearing any of the treble roll-off that I hear on the main rig in the man cave. In fact, it sound freakin' great! Must be a capacitance difference... all I know is it WORKS.
Click to expand...

I'm also using an ART DJ PRO II, with my Dual 1229/M97xE, into a Arcam AVR-300 A/V receiver's aux input. I have the gain level on the ART, just slightly blinking red on the LED.

My question is....how do you properly load the capacitance on the ART. And is 47k loading optimal with the M97xE? Just wondering if I'm actually missing out or doing something wrong in my setup.
 
Thank you for posting this information catman. I am getting a education here on the merits of cartridge loading......
 
catman said:
G'day all, I'm using my TCC TC-750 quite a bit of late and really love it. It has that smmoth and laid back discrete transistor sound and really sounds great.

Admittedly I have modified mine to use a 12 volt gel cell pure DC supply and I've replaced the default 220 pf input capacitors with 100 pf capacitors to optimise the input capacitance loading in my set up.

The mods all help to show off the inexpensive TCC TC-750 to its best, and it is very good indeed. :yes: Regards, Felix aka catman.
Click to expand...

Yeah... I changed the loading caps to 100pF in mine and added a switch to add another 100pF if desired. It's still a bit harsh sounding, but the stock 220pF loading on a cartridge that wants less made it that much worse. If you like this, you have to pick up the ART DJ 2 someday. Smoother than this, IMO.
 
G'day mate, I'm not sure why your TCC TC-750 sounds harsh because mine cetainly doesn't. :scratch2:

Perhaps your unit was faulty out of the factory perhaps? What power supply are you using? I'll never go back to the supplied wallwart after using a pure DC battery power supply! Regards, Felix aka catman.
 
Could someone who owns the amp upload a couple of files, including a file from a silent groove? So we can objectively see how it performs.
gusten

Edit: Preferably also a frequency sweep.

Edit2: I just looked at the design, no files needed.
 
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I have the TCC TC-750L and it's the first preamp and only one I've ever had to date. I looked at the Rega mini and the specs were vague. I also thought it to way over-priced.
I am running my Pioneer PL510 with an AT95E cart hooked into my Sansui 8080db driving a pair of DCM TF600s. I think the TCC preamp is lovely for the price, but I don't profess to be an expert, far from it. I could care less about what capacitors and diodes and resisters and such they use because I don't know where all that leads. I just want the thing to work and work it does! The line level adjustment is quite handy too. That said, I do think the AT 95E cart sounds a touch better with the TT fed directly through the receiver, but that's just me. I originally bought the preamp for my Denon DP47f TT because the leads weren't long enough to reach my Onkyo receiver, It will probably sound better than running it direct anyway. However, right now the preamp is helping digitize my vinyl. It will go to the other TT and Onkyo when I am done.
 
catman said:
G'day all, I'm using my TCC TC-750 quite a bit of late and really love it. It has that smooth and laid back discrete transistor sound and really sounds great.

Admittedly I have modified mine to use a 12 volt gel cell pure DC supply and I've replaced the default 220 pf input capacitors with 100 pf capacitors to optimise the input capacitance loading in my set up.

The mods all help to show off the inexpensive TCC TC-750 to its best, and it is very good indeed. :yes: Regards, Felix aka catman.
Click to expand...

Hello Catman...

Can you tell me how you determine when the TC-750 would benefit from the 220 to 100 cap change?

I am running the Shure M97e with a JICO SAS stylus on an HK T-25 table.

What is your everyday table?

Appreciate....

.
 
G'day mate, I've measured the existing capacitances on the system here in my Ham Radio shack and to make up the required 250 picofarads (overall), I had to reduce the default 220 picofards (per channel) of the TCC TC-750 down to 100 picofarads.

220 picofarads would have increased the load capacitance by an additional 120 picofarads, too high for the 'standard stylus' M97xE at 47 k. This SAS stylus requires a similar capacitance loading. Every situation will be a little different, but using my capacitance meter I was able to accurately measure the existing capacitances in this system and optimise things as necessary.

I use the Marantz TT-1200 turntable with its hardwired interconnects. Regards, Felix aka catman.
 
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catman said:
G'day mate, I'm not sure why your TCC TC-750 sounds harsh because mine cetainly doesn't. :scratch2:

Perhaps your unit was faulty out of the factory perhaps? What power supply are you using? I'll never go back to the supplied wallwart after using a pure DC battery power supply! Regards, Felix aka catman.
Click to expand...

Yeah... I did just use the stock power supply. I'm sure it would sound smoother with battery power. I'll have to give it a shot someday. I'd like to hear my ART on battery power too.
 
catman said:
G'day mate, I've measured the existing capacitances on the system here in my Ham Radio shack and to make up the required 250 picofarads (overall), I had to reduce the default 220 picofards (per channel) of the TCC TC-750 down to 100 picofarads.

220 picofarads would have increased the load capacitance by an additional 120 picofarads, too high for the 'standard stylus' M97xE at 47 k. This SAS stylus requires a similar capacitance loading. Every situation will be a little different, but using my capacitance meter I was able to accurately measure the existing capacitances in this system and optimise things as necessary.

I use the Marantz TT-1200 turntable with its hardwired interconnects. Regards, Felix aka catman.
Click to expand...

Very Good, Felix.

I just ordered a capacitance meter to check my system out.

I may ask for further assistance from you when I get my meter in.

Also, what freq do you generally hang out on with your HAM rig?

Appreciate...

.
 
Analogisgood said:
I just bought a TCC TC-750, just for the fun of it. And yes, it do have that classic transistor sound, but with some harshness to it. The transistors and resistors are okay, but the cheap caps and the ceramics needs replacement. I think it will do a lot for the sound quality.
Click to expand...

Absolutely, changing the caps to better quality will improve the amp considerably.
gusten
 
G'day all. JazzVinyl, I pop up on 20, 40 and 80 m but no specific frequencies. None of my wire antennas are particularly 'high gain' but work well enough. I am on Skype. Regards, Felix (vk4fuq) aka catman.
 
Felix,

I was making comments on the TCC 750 in that it is a far east copy from the Dual TVV46. This comment was wrong. Actually the cheaper version TCC TC-400 is said to be a -slightly modified- copy of the famous old Dual TVV46. I quote from this website http://www.badenhausen.com/VSR1PreAmps.htm :

Obviously, the DUAL TVV46 amplifier circuit has become very popular, even for subject to copying! In 2002, the author found its corresponding version in phono pre-amplifier series made in Far-East. That product family, eg. specified 'TCC TC-400' or 'TC-4 by AV HiTec', appears as a re-design of the TVV46 for 12V DC supply voltage; cf. parts list of the "AV TC-4 " to whom resistors R7 and R11 were cancelled. However, the Far-East copyists did not consider the great importance of an additional filter to be formed by R7 & C4 when re-defining reasonably new values for C2, C3, and R3. Thus, this pre- amplifier design does emphasize lower frequencies significantly, e.g. +3dB at 100 Hz, +5dB at 50 Hz, +9dB at 25 Hz. The author has measured the input impedance at approximately 250 kOhms – that is too much. The manufacturer's quotation for S/N ratio is 50dB.
Extract from parts list: TC-4x series:
C1 and C4 = 10µ ; R1 = 100k ; R2 = 470 (not adjustable) ; R4 = 390k ; R5 = 10k ; R6 = 1k8 // 47µ (added capacitor) ; Q1 and Q2 = 2SC1815..

Since this amplifier – as well as its old DUAL model – only have a simple filter network of three components instead of four at least, it might hardly meet LP remastering requirements such as linearity better than ± 1dB. However, this value can be only achieved by forming an RC type filter with C4 and R7 at exactly known output load!

Maybe this is usefull info on the little brother of your TCC.


Paul.
 
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I hooked it up with a regulated supply today. Huge improvement in sq. Much better than expected. Quite good dynamics, and good bass. Still a bit harshness, but i guess some better caps will improve that alot.
 
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