Not that I need another one but I have been looking for a phono stage using the KISS principal that anyone can build cheaply and easily. And with all the enthusiastic reports from Felix aka Catman and others about Rod Elliot's projects I sent for the circuit board of the P06 MM phono preamp.
At first I built a power supply that was recommended by other AK members, it was a simple Rod Elliot design that I built on a project board. I am using a 16vac wallwart that I had left over from when I got the Speed Box II for my Pro-Ject turntable. I used Panasonic and Elna caps along with Schottky diodes. It should be a good match for the P06. The PCB arrived in record time, it was so tiny I didn't think the parts I had would fit. The whole project board it's sitting on with the PSU is 4" x 5" the P06 is only 1 1/2" x 3".
I used Elna Silmic II's for the four 22uf electrolytic's, I had to space them a bit as they are bigger than most. I also used Panasonic ECW Polypropylene's for the film caps in the signal path, I had to bend the legs carefully. Panasonic FC's and a pair of ceramics for the power supply bypass caps, with all resistors Panasonic Metal Film 1%.
The opamps that Rod recommended were NE5532's or OPA2134's, I settled on my favorite AD823's in sockets for some op amp rolling later on if necessary.
The PSU I built puts out + & - 18vdc as opposed to the recommended 15vdc as I already had LM8918 / LM9818 rectifiers on hand.
The preamp is only MM but I have a very nice and simple design for a MC head amp that I will build on the rest of the project board that the PSU is on. It should be a simple matter of having a switch for either MM or MC. This will not be an expensive project. I only need to find a suitable case for it all.
So how does it sound?
Don't let the size and simplicity of this thing fool you, it's truly amazing, the bass is deep and extended it has a huge sound stage and seems ever so slightly rolled off in the extreme highs which I like. It's almost tube like, the AD823's really suit this circuit. It's the sort of sound you could listen to for hours. Everything is there in perfect balance. It's not one of those WOW on the edge of your seat for the first five minutes then you tire of it experience. It's the real deal, the more you listen the more you like it. There are no electrolytic's in the signal path and actually very few components at all.
It's a shame it's only MM but if the simple high quality MC head amp works out it should be a cheap and easy project to build.
At first I built a power supply that was recommended by other AK members, it was a simple Rod Elliot design that I built on a project board. I am using a 16vac wallwart that I had left over from when I got the Speed Box II for my Pro-Ject turntable. I used Panasonic and Elna caps along with Schottky diodes. It should be a good match for the P06. The PCB arrived in record time, it was so tiny I didn't think the parts I had would fit. The whole project board it's sitting on with the PSU is 4" x 5" the P06 is only 1 1/2" x 3".
I used Elna Silmic II's for the four 22uf electrolytic's, I had to space them a bit as they are bigger than most. I also used Panasonic ECW Polypropylene's for the film caps in the signal path, I had to bend the legs carefully. Panasonic FC's and a pair of ceramics for the power supply bypass caps, with all resistors Panasonic Metal Film 1%.
The opamps that Rod recommended were NE5532's or OPA2134's, I settled on my favorite AD823's in sockets for some op amp rolling later on if necessary.
The PSU I built puts out + & - 18vdc as opposed to the recommended 15vdc as I already had LM8918 / LM9818 rectifiers on hand.
The preamp is only MM but I have a very nice and simple design for a MC head amp that I will build on the rest of the project board that the PSU is on. It should be a simple matter of having a switch for either MM or MC. This will not be an expensive project. I only need to find a suitable case for it all.
So how does it sound?
Don't let the size and simplicity of this thing fool you, it's truly amazing, the bass is deep and extended it has a huge sound stage and seems ever so slightly rolled off in the extreme highs which I like. It's almost tube like, the AD823's really suit this circuit. It's the sort of sound you could listen to for hours. Everything is there in perfect balance. It's not one of those WOW on the edge of your seat for the first five minutes then you tire of it experience. It's the real deal, the more you listen the more you like it. There are no electrolytic's in the signal path and actually very few components at all.
It's a shame it's only MM but if the simple high quality MC head amp works out it should be a cheap and easy project to build.
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) another phono pre and am looking at the ESP and wondering how it compares to the Hag Bugle which I finished a while ago. Anyone out there done a comparison?
