Pre-amp controller for little Maggies?

[mr_wetland]

Hi all, I have two little Maggies that I am in the process of re-building as stand-alones (an 8601 and 8603). To anyone who's done this, what are you using or recommend as a pre-amp/controller for this little amp? I'd love to do a little tube DIY pre-amp, but needing a separate power supply is a bit of a pain. Any recommendations? I also assume I could use any solid state pre-amp (NAD, whatever) to do the job, right?

 

[djnagle]

Depends on what you need the pre to do. If just volume control, get a Alps Blue Velvet of the bay and put it in a box. If you need input selection, add that. However, if you need to boost your signal, then you need a line stage in the pre amp. That might be the case if you have ineff speakers.

I just run a volume put and selector switch.

 

[GOYA]

Magnavox pre/tuners get no love. What's wrong with them? From what I understand the phono pre is useless because Maggie used ceramic cartridges. What about the rest of it?

I picked up an 8802 with a 7909 pre/tuner a few days ago. Would I be wasting my time getting it all working together like it was made to do?

 

[gearhound]

I'm using a dual mono passive preamp, with mono 100K stepped ladder-type attenuators, and a DPDT toggle as a 2 position selector switch; all in a Hammond aluminum hobby box.
About $50 in parts, and a few hours labor.

Works well with my refurbished Magnavox 8802 (6V6 PP) amplifier, IMO.


Steve

 

[wa2ise]

If you use a regular stereo ganged pot, it will fit nicely inside the amp, using the pre-punched chassis holes. I'd use the position next to the RCA input jacks.

 

[mr_wetland]

Hey, that looks just like mine! I could do that, but I'm not quite savvy enough to know which wire connects to what (I am quite embarrassed to say). Anyone care to teach me? I know it's pretty straightforward, and I have a 100k pot I can use. I don't really need a selector switch since it's easy enough to plug in our unplug either a cdp or an iPod. When I decide to hook the TT up, then I'll take the next step.

 

[wa2ise]

Hey, that looks just like mine! I could do that, but I'm not quite savvy enough to know which wire connects to what (I am quite embarrassed to say). ...I have a 100k pot I can use. I don't really need a selector switch

The signal wires you want to intercept are the ones connected to the RCA jacks. These wires are likely the capacitor leads feeding the 6EU7 tube. Looking at the pot from the back, call the middle terminal (of one of the wafers) at 12 o'clock position. That terminal connects to the cap lead that in turn connects to the 6EU7 tube. the terminal at 1 o'clock goes to the ground, run a wire to the place where the RCA connector ground is. the terminal at 11 o'clock connects to the signal in on the RCA jack. Your choice which RCA jack goes to which of the volume control wafers, just be consistent so the channels don't get mixed up. No biggie if you do, just relabel the inputs or outputs to match.