Anyone have experience or opinion on this

K&K Audio maxxed-out phono pre-amp?

Anything comparable or better for similar $$, DIY or used?

-1 point for double xx.

transformers not good?

Pete, I have a great cheap, modded cdp, I'm going to sell. Jp has heard it. It's a Cambridge 640P with a bunch of mods including the power supply. I'm going to sell to fund at Sonic Studio 302.

Four op amps replaced with National LM 4562 op amps

Coupling caps (.01 UF) replaced with larger bypass caps (.22 UP Polyprop)

All power supply caps replaced with Nichicon caps and by passed with .01 UF Wilma MKP caps.

Power supply diodes replaced with low noise Schottky type 100v diodes and by passed with .01 UF Wilma MKP caps.

High frequency bypass caps on the op amps, which were ceramic disk type are replaced with silver mica caps.

Edited July 28, 200917 yr by tyrion

+1 for the lundahl iron

Pete, I have a great cheap, modded cdp, I'm going to sell.

Not really a phono stage though, is it?

Pete, looks fairly interesting, JFET input cascoded by a triode. I expect it would sound pretty good. Schematic here.

Not really a phono stage though, is it?

Pete, looks fairly interesting, JFET input cascoded by a triode. I expect it would sound pretty good. Schematic here.

What the heck is it then?

Pete, I have a great cheap, 640 P phono stage, I'm going to sell. Jp has heard it. It's a Cambridge 640P with a bunch of mods including the power supply. I'm going to sell to fund at Sonic Studio 302.

Four op amps replaced with National LM 4562 op amps

Coupling caps (.01 UF) replaced with larger bypass caps (.22 UP Polyprop)

All power supply caps replaced with Nichicon caps and by passed with .01 UF Wilma MKP caps.

Power supply diodes replaced with low noise Schottky type 100v diodes and by passed with .01 UF Wilma MKP caps.

High frequency bypass caps on the op amps, which were ceramic disk type are replaced with silver mica caps.

Not really a phono stage though, is it?

I Object! By "modded cdp", my colleague clearly meant "modded 640P" phono stage. Move to strike your snarky remark[y].

What's a little "P" between friends?

Edited July 28, 200917 yr by tyrion

I don't know what you guys are talking about. You gotta love the power.

I don't know what you guys are talking about. You gotta love the power.

If you're going to abuse your mod power, you might as well fix your original post. Plus, I was just trying to help.

If you're going to abuse your mod power, you might as well fix your original post. Plus, I was just trying to help.

I thought I did. I think I've already had too much wine.

.

.

That's to the point.

Damn I'm confused.

Just to point out, I already have a very good fully discrete phono stage: the Pass Pearl

So I'm looking to see what would get me solidly into the high end in terms of sonic reproduction/performance from a DIY offering.

Spedifically want a stage with 60+db of gain, dont think I want a xformer step up, or tube step up in the first stage.

Mike thanks for thinking of me with your Cambridge unit.

Colin thanks for the info.

I wonder if Luvdunhill, Nate and Kevin Gilmore could also weigh in of the +/- of the K&K offering, or something better.

Cheers

Pete

Damn I'm confused.

I think that's my fault.

I'd look at the Borbely phono stages, as well as the newer Pass designs that can be modified to be DC coupled. If tubes are your thing, consider the Alan Wright designs. The real question is how much gain do you need, and do you have an opposition to step-ups, or LCR RIAA transformers. edit: I fail at reading comprehension. Look at the Wright designs and the Borbely designs. However, the below still applies.

The noise specs on the Pass designs is as good as you can get from a discrete design, IMHO.

Edited July 28, 200917 yr by luvdunhill

60+ db would be ideal.

Borbely look interesting, but high parts count (don't know if that matter too much)

I don't really have the skills to modify a Pass design and build my own pcb...

does Pass have a new design out in the public domain for a phono?

Borbely look interesting, but high parts count (don't know if that matter too much)

and expensive, once you look at the upper-end PCB material option with Caddock resistors.

does Pass have a new design out in the public domain for a phono?

no. The Ono was released and then recalled, once they realized what the Xono would look like once released

and expensive, once you look at the upper-end PCB material option with Caddock resistors.

yeah... I new that was the case.

there is a German guy that sells XONO clone boards. rstaudio.de

Potential for better sonics than the Pearl? I do like the more gain.

The place to upgrade the Pearl is the coupling caps.

The same with the Xono, except you can be creative and bypass them all together.

I was thinking of Mundorf silver/gold/oil