Update on my phono preamp:
- Thread starter J!m
- Start date
Another update: procrastinators rejoice!
The "cheap" version will be available soon and will retail at $250.00. The higher end one will be $2500.00 but it has a delayed release due to parts shortages. Even the "expensive" one is not quite up to the performance of the latest DIY version with parallel op amps, but you don't have to build it either...
The "cheap" version will be available soon and will retail at $250.00. The higher end one will be $2500.00 but it has a delayed release due to parts shortages. Even the "expensive" one is not quite up to the performance of the latest DIY version with parallel op amps, but you don't have to build it either...
Jim‘s thread has got me into building a couple of these preamps. Got four boards and will see what pieces I have in-house them make an order over the holidays. Jim’s build is a plateau I’ll try to reach . Great build ther Jim. These are same layout but different Color’s if you are building both a mc and mm Pre
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I had bought boards early on and didn't get to them for a year. Meanwhile, the design got updated (like above) with the parallel input op amps, which drives down the noise and distortion even further.
So, my MM board is the older design, and my MC board is the newer dual-op amp design. Both cartridges can be supported on the newer board, with some minor component changes. The MM is less sensitive to this added noise, as the gain is not as high. But why not, if you're building a new one...
Note these DIY versions have performance beyond the "expensive" version from Sota, which is based on these designs, but use a linear power supply, rather than the switching supply and dedicated filter board. The break-off boards above are the filter and adapter boards to pre-mount the SMD's and run them on stand-off pins (how I did it). You can also SM them direct t the main board if you are better than me at setting them...
So, my MM board is the older design, and my MC board is the newer dual-op amp design. Both cartridges can be supported on the newer board, with some minor component changes. The MM is less sensitive to this added noise, as the gain is not as high. But why not, if you're building a new one...
Note these DIY versions have performance beyond the "expensive" version from Sota, which is based on these designs, but use a linear power supply, rather than the switching supply and dedicated filter board. The break-off boards above are the filter and adapter boards to pre-mount the SMD's and run them on stand-off pins (how I did it). You can also SM them direct t the main board if you are better than me at setting them...
You need to buy my Parks Puffin! Toslink out into a good DAC and that's as good as it gets. I've had many phono preamp's, and some pretty good tube ones also... which reminds me I have a lightly used PJL phono preamp also. I actually have two of them but I'm going to keep one and sell the other. This is the seller I found on eBay, he also made a tube preamp for me.
https://pjlelectronics.com/
The Puffin is the way to go... don't be afraid of the digital side, because it comes out the other side analog from the DAC. Pretty impressive phono preamp with a ton of adjustability... you can tune any cartridge anywhere anytime lol.
https://pjlelectronics.com/
The Puffin is the way to go... don't be afraid of the digital side, because it comes out the other side analog from the DAC. Pretty impressive phono preamp with a ton of adjustability... you can tune any cartridge anywhere anytime lol.
Hi. I thought that it was probably about time that I contributed to this thread in view of the sterling work that J!m has done.
The SoTA Pyxi roll out has been kind of slow, mostly due to, of all things, mechanical issues, so there's a substantial waiting list.
However, if anyone has any questions about the original DIY projects or the SoTA commercial units, I'd be happy to answer.
The SoTA Pyxi roll out has been kind of slow, mostly due to, of all things, mechanical issues, so there's a substantial waiting list.
However, if anyone has any questions about the original DIY projects or the SoTA commercial units, I'd be happy to answer.
I'd be very interested in your observations as that was essentially the reason that I got involved in this "development" in the first place.
Hopefully you like what you hear. However, like all designs there are trade offs and imperfections, and understanding what users experience is invaluable for future improvements.
Hopefully you like what you hear. However, like all designs there are trade offs and imperfections, and understanding what users experience is invaluable for future improvements.
