audio reproduction gear, music and other stuff
I recently built a phono stage using some original Audio Note parts: a phono board featuring a 12AX7 and a 6DJ8 double triode with a passive RIAA equalization network in between, a power supply based on solid-state rectification, C-R-C-R-C filtering, and a mains transformer.
Continue reading “Tube-rectified Power Supply for Oto’s Phono Stage”
This project came as the logical end of a continuous process of refining the amplifier’s performance. The itch to find out how a stepped attenuator would perform against the ubiquitous volume potentiometer became increasingly acute after the surgery that transformed my Audio Note OTO Phono SE Signature integrated amplifier into a P1 SE Signature power amplifier.
Two coils, two caps, and a resistor, arranged across two drivers with the purpose of dividing the energy between them evenly. This is what I came up with after several months of experimentation. I tried almost everything, but it was the series crossover network that brought resolution and peace to my weary soul.
Although it made an analog junkie out of me, I have to admit that I’ve always been aware of the slightly resonant signature of Oto’s phono stage. To my ears, there has always been a sonic disparity between its line-level and phono performance, which manifested itself as a kind of exaggerated euphonic quality in the latter.
I recently visited a friend — Nadia. She is a music lover, and her vinyl-based rig, consisting of some vintage components, is located in the kitchen. Unlike me, she listens to music while she is cooking, doing something else in the adjacent room, or simply relaxing on the veranda. In contrast, at my place I always listen intently and in front of the audio system. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the evening we spent on the veranda, chatting about things, drinking and laughing with a couple of friends.
