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Phono Preamp Kit Recommendation

I bought one of the cheap Chinese phono pre’s, just for parts. I gutted the Chinese PCB, kept the RCA inputs/outputs. Came with a quiet power supply, so I kept it also.

30C992AA-89E1-4791-84F4-560BF1FA73E7.jpeg

Then I loaded this circuit in place of the Chinese POC. (The Chinese unit was tinny and narrow sounding!)

The discrete board sounds VERY good! Airy, open, quiet, detailed.

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There is another excellent one designed by Silicon Chip magazine http://www.siliconchip.com.au/Issue/2006/August/Build+A+Magnetic+Cartridge+Preamplifier , complete with various options for three different equalisation settings (RIAA plus the old record company equalisations) selected by internal easily-changed links (a 3-way switch could also be used, with a larger box). The kit’s still available from Altronics https://www.altronics.com.au/p/k5513-preamp-riaa-shortform-kit/ . It’s powered from a 12V – 17V AC 250mA plugpack (wall wart) – not supplied, and SC also later released mods for it to be used with 10 times more gain, to suit low output MC cartridges. Note that the price is in Australian dollars, currently (16 July 2020) about 69 cents US.

It was described in an online article by someone who built one here http://diyaudioprojects.com/Chip/Phono-Preamp-Kit/ , although he used a plastic box, with aluminium foil to shield it – a metal box would be better, similar to this one https://www.jaycar.com.au/economy-die-cast-aluminum-boxes-119-x-93-5-x-56-5mm/p/HB5064 . Jaycar no longer stock the kit he built, though, so Altronics are the only source for the kit.
 
mkane said:
Nobody listens to us. They just spend there $$$$ on inferior 'kit'. I finally quit recommending anything to anyone. But, I have gave a few away to appreciative people. Guess the wont know what there missing.
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How much is the phono pre you recommend, with PCB(s) and all components for it, and what would you compare it to, sound-wise? I probably wouldn’t mind building one, just to compare it to others I have.

BTW - has anyone here built up a “Bigbottle” phono preamp?
 
ETI_5000 said:
There is another excellent one designed by Silicon Chip magazine http://www.siliconchip.com.au/Issue/2006/August/Build+A+Magnetic+Cartridge+Preamplifier , complete with various options for three different equalisation settings (RIAA plus the old record company equalisations) selected by internal easily-changed links (a 3-way switch could also be used, with a larger box). The kit’s still available from Altronics https://www.altronics.com.au/p/k5513-preamp-riaa-shortform-kit/ . It’s powered from a 12V – 17V AC 250mA plugpack (wall wart) – not supplied, and SC also later released mods for it to be used with 10 times more gain, to suit low output MC cartridges. Note that the price is in Australian dollars, currently (16 July 2020) about 69 cents US.

It was described in an online article by someone who built one here http://diyaudioprojects.com/Chip/Phono-Preamp-Kit/ , although he used a plastic box, with aluminium foil to shield it – a metal box would be better, similar to this one https://www.jaycar.com.au/economy-die-cast-aluminum-boxes-119-x-93-5-x-56-5mm/p/HB5064 . Jaycar no longer stock the kit he built, though, so Altronics are the only source for the kit.
Click to expand...
Now thats cool. Love to have the older curves.
 
MisterDK said:
How much is the phono pre you recommend, with PCB(s) and all components for it, and what would you compare it to, sound-wise? I probably wouldn’t mind building one, just to compare it to others I have.
Click to expand...

With both MC/MM not including a chassis, right around $300 for all hardware.
 
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@mkane and I collaborated on Wyn Palmer's phono preamps; he did all the soldering and testing then I built the enclosures. We each have a MM and MC preamp running off one power supply. There are lots of configurations possible but Wyn's phono, whether MM or MC, is terrific.

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During assembly:

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Ptlud said:
I am looking for recommendations on a significantly improved diy phono preamp for my analog system. The sonic performance is currently really quite good: full bass, good separation and sound stage, and very realistic. Would I be better with a solid state or tube preamp.

(1) Lenco L-75 turntable modified with a custom plinth and Silver Note 512S tone arm. Stanton 681 cartridge with a Pickering 625DJ stylus. I would like the option of upgrade to a moving coil cartridge in the future.
(2) Hagerman, Bugle 2 phono pre-amp
(3) Bottlehead Stereomour 2A3 SE tube amp
(4) Klipsch KLF-20 horn speakers (100dB/m)

Below is a list of the phono pre-amp kits I have found.

(1) RJM, Emerald (http://phonoclone.com/pcb.html)
(2) Elliot, P06 HiFi Phono Preamp (https://sound-au.com/project06.htm)
(3) Tindie, Muffsy Phono Preamp PP-4 Kit (https://www.muffsy.com/muffsy-pp4)
(4) Pass Labs, Pearl 2 (https://www.passdiy.com/pdf/PEARL 2.pdf)
(5) Signal Transfer, Phono Preamplifier (http://www.signaltransfer.freeuk.com/RIAAunbal.htm)
(6) Boozhound, Deluxe Phono Preamp (https://boozhoundlabs.com/collections/all/products/deluxe-phono-peramplifier)
(7) Tavish, Vintage 6SL7 Phono Stage (https://tavishdesign.com/products/vintage-6sl7-phono-stage?variant=13907030662)
(8) GlassWare, Aikido Tetra (https://glass-ware.stores.yahoo.net/tetrasansps.html)
(9) Bottlehead Reduction 1.1 (https://bottlehead.com/product/reduction-1-1-phono-preamplifier-kit/#)
(10) Bottlehead Eros 2 (https://bottlehead.com/product/eros-2-phono-preamplifier-kit/)

Thanks!
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Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water here's another one. Although it's a full preamp with linestage also. I have heard it in a very nice system and it's quite good
.
http://musicaldesign.com/paspro1a.html
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Evonimos said:
I think it is not so much a matter of technology as a matter of implementation and design.
My VSPS for example sounds close to my EAR834P clone.
Only in a head to head A/B comparison you will notice minor differences and these are very small indeed.
You could start with a nice and simple opamp design like the Emerald or VSPS for example and then can go from there.


Nice.
I have a couple of NOS original D625 stylus (almost identical to yours) and they sound sweet.
If I were to move towards an MC from there (i'm not), of interest would be the classic Ortofon SPU or the classic Denon DL103.
Click to expand...

I built the Emerald a few months back and can't be more happy. It sounds amazing with my Rega Carbon, Grado Prestige Gold, and Denon DL-103. Also, RJM is a nice guy and answers questions quickly and succinctly.
 
Nice!
If I were to build another opamp-based preamp, it would be the Emerald.
I like the way RJM explains things and his support and the simplicity of his circuit.
 
Hi, Provided you Bugle 2 has decent, genuine op-amp & a quiet P/S, you will need a quite large upgrade to really notice any significant difference. Of the ones listed the Pass Pearl 2 is the pick of the bunch, but like many things it is also the one most expensive to build.
Another MM phono amp worth considering is a EAR 834 clone, (a very large helpful thread on Lenco Heaven) It can a a pinch do MC, I ran a 103 into it with a passive pre & got adequate volume.
Looking forward, if you go for a MC upgrade. The the AD797 MC phono amp (from these very pages) is equal to the Peal 2 but can be build for around $200, the Pearl would cost around $500. Owned both of these as well as a EAR, currently I am currently using a S/H (cost $200) Dynavector P75 Mk III, for my MC, in their 'Dr T Mode' it beats both the Pearl & AD797 hands down.
However I must say, your cartridges really do not really warrant a phono stage, and whether the the arm is good enough for a cartridge upgrade is unknown territory.

Cheers and Keep Safe
 
a $100 KIT phono preamp with input-referred noise voltage of 0.246 µV (IEC-A wtd.) relative to the nominal input level of 5 mV is -86.2 dBA, harmonic distortion of 0.0002% and FR up to 38 kHz with budget MM cartridge

https://imrad-com-ua.translate.goog..._sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=ru&_x_tr_pto=wapp

features: input with passive cooling + output TransAdmittance + size 20x45x3 mm suitable for freely installation @ tonearm basement of any turntable, - like Phaedrus Phlux / Clearaudio Absolute Phono but without the need to modify headshell\tonearm: no external interference/noise on the interconnect cable and no loss of signal quality
https://www.patreon.com/posts/otsenite-tekst-90783025

Gerbers + BOM + Centroid for full assembling @ JLCPCB.com for less than $25
https://www.patreon.com/posts/gerbers-bom-dlia-115982203
 

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The Bottlehead Eros is fantastic, but I can't recommend it because it uses EF86 tubes. It is SO hard to find a quiet pair of these. Leaves you crying.
 
At the same time that I enjoy early high tracking force MMs, I wonder why you are focused on the phono stage rather than the stylus. Is there some magic to the 625DJ stylus? I am not asking to be annoying, but because I am conventional enough to think that a large tip conical, which, while having lots of oomph and little high end tick and pop kind of noise, is unlikely to have the sort of refinement that demands a high end phono stage.
I am a huge fan of Deccas, which is why I tried early MMs when I read that they, too, had a dynamism lacking in modern cartridges, so I am open to being better informed.
 
Nat said:
At the same time that I enjoy early high tracking force MMs, I wonder why you are focused on the phono stage rather than the stylus. Is there some magic to the 625DJ stylus? (...)
Click to expand...

Seems like the OP's last AK visit was almost four years ago....

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini
 
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