AudioCircle
Other Stuff => Archived Manufacturer Circles => Hagerman Technology => Topic started by: Allen on 30 Oct 2003, 12:17 am
-
Apologies for the quality of these pics :oops: but I thought I'd post another Cornet success story, as I am very happy with it.
The Phono amp shares a (rather too small) box with a Bent Audio S&B TX102 line stage, I've got to say that Jim Hagerman and John Chapman were both very patient and helpful with my daft questions about the project, two of the nicest guys in DIY audio, thanks!
(http://img.AudioAsylum.com/cgi/i.pl?u=users/9986&f=hag-pre2.jpg&self=)
On the front Volume - Source - On/Off,
above the knobs: the sensor for the Remote, an LED for on off, and an LED above the source switch which is only lit when phono is selected. I'll get a nice posh front plate engraved and some proper LED bezels eventually.
The Cornet is fired up via a relay only when phono is selected, mounted behind the faceplate theres a separate switch that handles the 12V DC for the relay and LED . A shaft extension runs to the 'proper' source switch which lives at the back near the inputs and outputs and sits next to the Seiden 20 pos switch for the S&Bs, keeping all the signal wiring together and the runs short.
On the back all the usual ins and outs, but also a 12V DC out aswell to fire up the power amp for a wife-friendly one knob switch-on approach :wink:.
(http://img.AudioAsylum.com/cgi/i.pl?u=users/9986&f=hag-pre.jpg)
Here are the sordid innards, I mounted the rectifier off the board, an NOS French military 5Y3GB, shame to hide it really, a beautiful valve. I had to mount the big 'lytics topside to give clearance for the switch shaft extensions.
If I'd given it more thought I would have exploited the closed chassis further to mount alternate resistors topside and give them all a bit more space to breathe, but it seems to run extremely cool even with the lid on.
With hindsight I would have used a bigger chassis so the wiring for the S&Bs wasn't running so close to the Cornet board, but in practise this doesn't seem to cause any problems and the whole arrangement is super quiet.
Tried a variety of valves, GE5751, Ei Elite 12AX7s, RFT ECC82, but the sweetest combination of the valves that I have seems to be Mullard ECC83s and RT 12AU7WA.
The Cornet and the TX102s have been breaking in for a while now and still sounding better by the day, bass fattened considerably over the 1st month or so and now the whole thing seems to be gaining in overall resolution. I don't know how much of this is the Cornet, but I suspect that the TX102s need the longest break-in time.
I might try switching the signals with relays too, and experiment with damping the chassis, but overall I'm really happy with how the whole thing turned out, I think I'd have to spend an awful lot more time and money to better it.
A satisfied customer. :D