[wroman214]

  I just built a VSPS 300 by RJM on the DIY Audio site.  He sells the boards and kits.  It is by far the best phono stage I have owned but would like to build another with some tweeking to the supplied board.  Namely dual layer construction,  heavier copper traces, maybe teflon if price is not through the roof and larger beefier solder pads and possibly room for different sized caps and resistors.  I would like to keep the silkscreen to help in assembly.  Where can I go to get this done that may be novice friendly?  I believe RJM uses Olimex but I would like to stick to US.
Walt

[mgalusha]

Sunstone offers a free PCB design package, but of course it only exports to their fabrication system. The boards I've had them make were quite nice. No idea if they offer Arlon or Teflon boards, you would have to poke around their site. PCB123 is pretty easy to use, especially compared to some of the CAD packages.

http://www.sunstone.com/pcb123.aspx

[wroman214]

  Thanks M. I will look into the software or actually getting the files for the present board and see if I will be able to do what I want.  This is a very rudimentary question but in asking for multi-layer boards do the board layers duplicate and is the purpose to have redundant traces to increase gauge size or are there different traces on the various layers?      Another question is if I am using dip 8 pin sockets with multi layer boards I usually solder from the bottom,  are there 8 pin sockets with extended leads to allow multi-layers boards?

[dB Cooper]

I believe the usual rationale behind multi layer boards is that complex circuit arrangements can be executed on a physically much smaller board than would otherwise be possible, with shorter circuit paths. But there may be other valid reasons as well.

[Russtafarian]

I built RJM's phono clone, and like you, really like the way it sounds.  I don't know what you have in mind for the circuit that you want different boards, but here are a few things I did that really improved my phonoclone:

Jantzen 2.2 uf Superior Z coupling caps soldered directly from the circuit board to the RCA output jacks.

National 49710 and 49713 metal can op amps in both the phono circuit and the X-reg circuit.

Outboard power supply using a 1 amp choke filtered IEC inlet, an R-core transformer from a dead Sony ES disc player, hexfred diode rectifier, Panasonic FC filter caps, and Bybee Labs positive and negative music rails.

Changing the op-amps opened up the clarity and resolution of the phone stage.  But by far the biggest improvement came from adding the Bybee Music Rails.  It took the sound of the phono stage from really good to OMG!

Russ

[srb]

Another question is if I am using dip 8 pin sockets with multi layer boards I usually solder from the bottom,  are there 8 pin sockets with extended leads to allow multi-layers boards?

The total thickness of most multi-layer PCBs are relatively the same thickness as single layer boards so standard through hole component and socket leads work just the same.  I had some 4-layer boards made (the two inner layers are power and ground layers) and the total thickness of the board is .065".

Steve

[wroman214]

 Thanks Russ,  I have the VSPS 300 boards and he does recommend different op amps than the Phonoclone but I am interested in alternatives.  I just added Audiocap Theta caps after listening to Hovland Supercaps, Auricaps, Obligato's,  I believe these will stay. I am familiar with the Janzens and have a pretty high opinion of them.  I could easily enough add a choke to the power line in but would have to find an appropriate one to use.

I have been interested in the music rails but have no idea how the wire in or operate.  I have never used Bybee stuff and other than the music rails have seen there products go from DIY component pricing to boutique pricing.  How do the rails wire in and operate in the phonoclone/vsps?

I used a way over spec transformer (250VAC Avel Lindberg) and at the present time using Gene SIC bridge diodes but have some Fairchild stealths waiting in the wings.

The reason for the different boards is to have thicker copper traces and allow for bigger pads and would like to use Elma Silmic caps so spacing is an issue.

Walt

[Russtafarian]

Here is all the info you could ever want on the Music Rails: http://bybeelabs.com/Apps___Data.html  Partsconnexion.com has them on sale for around $32 each with the current discount. 

I connected a 2 amp positive and 2 amp negative Music Rail between the diode bridge and the circuit board.  I put 1000uf filter caps on the diode bridge because the Music Rails want to see some capacitance on their input.


Russ