FR Drew's Garrard 401, DIY PP EL84 and Audiosphere system

[FR Drew]

So, here's my system as it currently stands.

Front end is a Garrad 401 in a Corian and Brushbox plinth. Tonearm is "The Wand" unipivot from Design Build Listen in NZ, Cartridge is an Ortofon Rondo Blue.

Phono Stage is a Musical Fidelity VLPS and VPSU. VLPS has minor mod with output electrolytic caps replaced with Auricaps.

Amp is my own design. Triode configured EL84's in fixed bias PP Class A coupled via Jantzen Superior Z caps to 6CG7's input gain and concertina phase splitter linked with another Jantzen superior Z, both input and concertina are LED biased. Input volume control is an Alps Black switched attenuator. Separate trannys for bias, filaments and HT. B+ is CLC filtered.

Speakers are Audiosphere MkII. Concrete enclosure reflex loaded with Coral Flat 5 drivers.

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j408/FRDrew/IMG_20150624_162146.jpg (http://s1084.photobucket.com/user/FRDrew/media/IMG_20150624_162146.jpg.html)

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j408/FRDrew/IMG_20150624_162139.jpg (http://s1084.photobucket.com/user/FRDrew/media/IMG_20150624_162139.jpg.html)

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j408/FRDrew/IMG_20150624_162114.jpg (http://s1084.photobucket.com/user/FRDrew/media/IMG_20150624_162114.jpg.html)

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j408/FRDrew/IMG_20150624_162102.jpg (http://s1084.photobucket.com/user/FRDrew/media/IMG_20150624_162102.jpg.html)

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j408/FRDrew/IMG_20150624_162032.jpg (http://s1084.photobucket.com/user/FRDrew/media/IMG_20150624_162032.jpg.html)

[Ali Tait]

Looks great, like those Coral drivers.

[walpurgis]

Love the look of your system Andrew. It has the proper look of a 'hands on' enthusiasts system. Great!

(by the way, your amplifier box needs gluing back together :).)

[FR Drew]

Amp needs a rebuild truth be told.

I'll shift the whole PSU into a second enclosure and convert heaters to DC. Run a 4 wire umbilical with system earth, B+, Bias - and Heater +.

Afraid with the two output trannys, 2 B+ trannys, 3 heater trannys, a bias tranny and a filter choke the amp is on the silly side of heavy and bulky as currently built... Even more so when one considers the 6 watts/channel of power output.

Do love the Coral drivers though. Lovely units.

[struth]

Thats great. not my forte but wish it were as i would have loved to ve able to build gear

[Macca]

Look at that that 401 plinth!

Great set-up.

[FR Drew]

Many thanks all. Waiting on some silver plated ofc solid core speaker cabe to arrive this week to replace the horrid stranded hardware store gloop that is currently in use.

In the cupboard is an Audiolab 8000CDE, but the mainboard is misbehaving, so it needs to head in for service at some stage...