Albarry MCA11 Moving Coil Amplifier

[Audio Al]

Anyone have one of these I could borrow

Very curious about this sut

[hifi_dave]

I had one advertised on here for notta lot and no one was interested. Went on E-Bay.

[RothwellAudio]

Very curious about this sut

Sorry to be pedantic (again) but this isn't a step-up transformer, it's a headamp. I suppose it could be a sud though.

[Audio Al]

Sorry to be pedantic (again) but this isn't a step-up transformer, it's a headamp. I suppose it could be a sud though.

OK so what does a head amp do ? as aposed to a step up transformer ?

[montesquieu]

OK so what does a head amp do ? as aposed to a step up transformer ?

Step up transformer - passive device that steps up voltage of cartridge (generally a low output moving coil of 0.1-1.0mV) in return for current, through use of a transformer

Head amp - active device that uses powered electronic means to amplify the same signal (usually using some kind of transistor technology though valve ones do exist - I had an Audion valve head amp once)

In both cases the aim is to get the signal voltage high enough to go into a moving magnet cartridge input on a phono preamp that expects an output voltage of 2-5mV.

[hifi_dave]

That sums it up nicely. Two different ways of doing the same thing.

From experience of using both the Albarry MCA1 and the Rothwell Headspace, I would recommend the latter. There are small differences in the presentation but the Headspace is a fraction of the cost and doesn't go through batteries at a vast rate of knots.

The Albarry was sold in miniscule quantities, so the likelihood of finding one is slim, anyway.