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Thread: step up transformers and active head amps

  1. #81
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: S.E. Wales

    Posts: 254

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    Scary stuff!
    I have decided at the 11th hour to change my new valve phono/pre to active MC stage rather than MM, so I'll be looking to move the highphonic 103 tranny on, based on the recommendation of the designer and also corroborated by our very own Richard. I'm also thinking about a pimped 3009 II to replace the technics arm. I'm gonna push the envelope a bit.

  2. #82
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

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    Nick,

    Don't do it. If you don't change your cartridge it will result in a worse sound

    All the DL-103s work best through a step-up transformer.

    However, to allow me to make a more definitive assessment of the situation please supply details of what the "pimped" 3009 involves and exactly what your designer has told you about active MC stages. Is he familiar with the quirks of the DL-103 or is he just looking at things in general? I'm not running an MM stage and a tranny for nothing, Nick... I think you should hear my set-up before you go any further - seriously. You might just need to hear the Auditorium 23. Bring your Highphonic and we'll make comparisons. I know the differences.

    The effective mass of the 3009 is unsuitable for your 103 Pro, no matter how much it is "pimped", unless you're talking a complete rebuild. The 3009 was designed for the Shure V15 and other similar MM cartridges of its era - it was never designed for moving coils. You would have to change your cartridge. The only SME which works properly with a DL-103 is a 3012, or the new 312S, but neither would fit on your deck...

    You can give me a call on the matter if you like, but please don't rush into anything silly

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  3. #83
    Join Date: Mar 2008

    Location: Newport

    Posts: 391
    I'm Simon.

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    Quote Originally Posted by scoobs View Post
    Scary stuff!
    I have decided at the 11th hour to change my new valve phono/pre to active MC stage rather than MM, so I'll be looking to move the highphonic 103 tranny on, based on the recommendation of the designer and also corroborated by our very own Richard. I'm also thinking about a pimped 3009 II to replace the technics arm. I'm gonna push the envelope a bit.
    Scoobs I would really think twice about the SME 3009. I heard on recently with a DL304 and while it sounded ok the minute I put some difficult indie music on it really struggled with the treble and high end information, so bad that we decided to stop listening and change records. Never good when that happens - the deck was a Technics direct drive but not an SL1200/1210 and I can't remember the model number.

    Whay not go for something like a Technoarm instead ?

    Is your tranny still up for sale and if so how much ?

  4. #84
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: S.E. Wales

    Posts: 254

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    Thanks for the concern fellas, well I have pulled the plug on the 3009, after Kevin (KAB) explained the messy process of removing my technics arm and din plate, at the first mention of 'de-solder' I ran a mile, so I'm just gonna get a new tonearm cable intead. The fella building my amp is a dyed in the wool 103 fan who also modifies them, he advised me that the 3009 with the included heavy AT headshell would be a good match, but I cant stomach the prospect of making a mess of my nice technics arm.

    As for the phono stage, well, it's too late to go back now but again as a 103 user himself he re-iterated that an integrated SS MC stage / valve linestage based on the Kondo M7 would perform better than a MM/sut in my setup, he had nothing to gain by this, actually he's lost out as I dont require the additional pair of interconnects he was going to make up for me.

    I know this flies in the face of the vast majority of opinion on here but I am going to take the chance, as I am seduced by the simplicity and minimalism of this approach. May the force be with me.
    The tranny sold in no time on the wam.
    Last edited by scoobs; 31-03-2008 at 16:33.

  5. #85
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Mid Lincs

    Posts: 1,445
    I'm Buffet-blower.

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    Nick - sorry, only just seen this thread but please trust me on this when I say that the NVA phono2 is a bloody good active phono amp. Upgradable via an extra psu aswell of course.

    Quiet, no hum issues, plenty of gain and a huge spread of room-filling sound.
    Richard.

    Round & round bits: LP12/Cirkus/Kore/Herc II/Roksan Nima/Hana EL
    Megabits: Bluesound Node 2i/TEAC UD-H01 dac
    Making it louder bits: Phonostage: Dynavector P75 Amp: Cyrus 8vs/PSX-R Speakers: Royd Sintra II
    Connecting it together bits i/c's: Flashback Premier. Speaker cables: Van Damme Hifi

  6. #86
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: S.E. Wales

    Posts: 254

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    Thanks Rich
    Your valuable accounts were in the back of my mind also, as a fellow previous P10 & sut user. Likewise to your phono2 the MC stage will be matched to the spec of my 103, A brave new world!

  7. #87
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    Hi Nick,

    Good news about the 3009 - I really don't think that would have worked.

    Best of luck with the active MC stage. Fingers crossed, mate!

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  8. #88
    Join Date: Feb 2008

    Posts: 18

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    Evening all,

    Well, it's been a while, but finally there have been some developments!

    Herewith some pictorial evidence....

    My system, with a familiar addition....



    It's Noteworthy's demo unit, which I have on loan until next Saturday!



    And here's the Ortofon step-up transformer which Guy recommended (please excuse the utterly dire photography!):-



    A clearer close-up shot:-



    And this is the cartridge in question - an AT-OC9MLII:-



    Initial impressions - wow!

    Music absolutely pours forth from the speakers. I have never heard anything quite so effortessly full-on from a vinyl source in my system. I'm hoping to put it through its paces a little more over the next few days, but the early signs are promising!
    Last edited by JonR; 13-04-2008 at 23:06.

  9. #89
    Join Date: Apr 2008

    Location: Bristol, UK

    Posts: 441
    I'm Greg.

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    Hmm, well I've previously owned NVA 'sand' phono stages and they were totally lifeless and compressed both in sound and dimensionality compared to my WAD Phono II (tweaked) with Lundahl step-up Tx's which are coupled to my ancient and very low output little used Ortofon MC30. I was very happy to sell my NVA on as a package with my Linn LP12; also a product that is marketed beyond the aural truth. My TT set up was used for demonstration at the last three Bristol 'Sound and Vision' Shows in the WD room. Shed loads of best sound at the show comments and alot of gobsmacked punters when they inquired on the identity of the cartridge. Understandable considering it's vintage and at the release time, bland reviews. I've done the 'sand' phono stage thing on both MM and MC. The ears have tested it and it doesn't work. MC into trafo's may be less than ideal in theory, but to the ears it's the best, all IMHO.
    Last edited by Cotlake; 20-07-2008 at 16:03.

  10. #90
    Join Date: Jun 2008

    Location: London

    Posts: 228
    I'm Rob.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Greg View Post
    Hmm, well I've previously owned NVA 'sand' phono stages and they were totally lifeless and compressed both in sound and dimensionality compared to my WAD Phono II (tweaked) with Lundahl step-up Tx's which are coupled to my ancient and very low output little used Ortofon MC30. I was very happy to sell my NVA on as a package with my Linn LP12; also a product that is marketed beyond the aural truth. My TT set up was used for demonstration at the last three Bristol 'Sound and Vision' Shows in the WD room. Shed loads of best sound at the show comments and alot of gobsmacked punters when they inquired on the identity of the cartridge. Understandable considering it's vintage and at the release time, bland reviews. I've done the 'sand' phono stage thing on both MM and MC. The ears have tested it and it doesn't work. MC into trafo's may be less than ideal in theory, but to the ears it's the best, all IMHO.
    Ditto Greg.

    I use a WAD PII with Sowter step-ups and it's great.

    Briefly ran the NVA Phono but it was very hissy and the lack of any shielding meant interruptions from passing mini cab radios and other assorted noises.

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