luvdunhill

it has fixed gain and will work with MC down to 0.4mV-0.5mV. With MM carts you'll have have that much more gain. No problem with that. The Grado Sonata mentioned is what, 4-5mV MI output? It's been a while since I owned one. I'm planning on using a 2.5-3mV high output MM cartridge.

yes, input resistance and capacitance are user definable. The circuit uses split-RIAA. The second stage has 30dB gain. The first is 29dB minus the RIAA EQ... .. so around 60dB. Here's an excerpt from the service manual: "The phono stage was tested on two different systems with a Grado Sonata (47 Kohms load), a Kiseki Lapus Lazuli (100 ohms load), and a Sumiko Celebration (1000 ohms load) cartridges all of which have outputs in the range of 400 to 500 microvolts. The circuit was quiet and had sufficient gain. A subjective consensus has it that the phono stage offered precise imaging and spatial placement and good depth. Compared with the Xono, the Pass Labs reference, it was slightly noisier, and had less gain. From a sonic standpoint, it acquitted itself well in comparison, lacking only slightly in dynamics."

thanks Iron_Dreamer! laxx:

is this a serious suggestion? I'm assuming so...

good enough recommendations for me. I just bought the G9.

For those that asked, each circuit board is 177 mm x 127 mm (6.97" x 5").

good catch. I should have recommended Jack as well. I need to make it rain where he lives,, as he said that's when he'll start matching the Fairchild devices he's selling for the F5. I'd like to stick them in my F4, as they're better than the IR devices IMHO. Any ideas? The Russian and Chinese can control the weather, so I should be able to...

hey, don't be so mean.... he can type and hit the post button too.

yes, I'm heading up a group buy for the Linear parts. Otherwise, you can get the Toshiba parts here for a good price: 2SK170; 2SK170BL Toshiba Low Noise JFET - Buy Online @ AmpsLab You'll have to match 2 of them to make the dual 2sk389...

heh. My wife has an XTi actually, great camera

yeah, something decently compact.

I sent a PM to the interested parties with cost information and some part recommendations. If anyone else is interested, please let me know as soon as possible!

I totally agree. I figured there would be more opinions on these 2

FWIW, all the bakeoffs I've seen that are conducted even in a semi-scientific manner for best fluid (going back 25 years ago), the winners have been RRL and Nitty Gritty fluids.

Unfortunately, dry brushing is not adequate. I have a friend that owns a stylus microscope and routinely does maintenance for high end cartridges, and he often services styli for customers who do not use something like magic eraser or zerodust and says that the diamond (and cantilevers) always have solidified plasticizer and other particulates that are impossible to totally remove, thus ultimately damaging the vinyl itself. If you'd like his contact information I can give it to you.

What do you guys think of the Canon G9? I was considering this and perhaps the Sigma DP1 for a point-and-shoot camera...

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This will close on Friday and funds will be due as soon as you can on the weekend, with the goal of paying for the boards before Monday. I think we're at 6 sets, assuming Thrice wants 2 boards, not 2 pairs.

what is this, head-fi? geez....

ooooh noesssssss

maybe these are just repackaged markl modded D5000s and he sold Denon the rights to his novel "upgrade procedure"?

check out the manual I posted above. It has everything you need, including very detailed instructions and even a bill of materials. I'd say that this would definitely qualify as a beginner project, as things are presented well in the documentation, and there is a large support forum for this particular project. I would say anything above the 0.4mV range would work, depending on how much gain you have in your preamp / headphone amp. I'd say that qualifies for most cartridges, as the ones that go lower (i.e. 0.24mV and less) do have alternative models in this range. I'm sure it will compete well with some units over the $1k (used) mark, but I wouldn't say all. For example, you can get an older Pass Ono for around $1k (used) that will sound better and perhaps some of the low end EAR tube phono stages might give this a run for its money (I personally wouldn't take the EAR over the Pearl, but many will argue with me on that point, so I give that example as simply another popular phono pre in this price range).

yes. it provides gain up to line level as well as the required RIAA equalization.

heh.. the Toshiba parts a D1G1S1xS1G1D1 from left to right. The LSK389 are S1D1G1 on one side (so snake the S1 between D1 and G1 and your good there) and S2D2G2 on the other (so snake G2 between S2 and D2). I'd recommend using zigzag sockets on the original 2sk389 socket to facilitate this, so you can get the new device situated in the socket and then plug the socket into the PCB and solder it. If you're less adventurous, just use a matched pair of the single devices.

close enough for government work