[galyons]

 I am pretty much "done"! (Whatever that means to us?).  Building your own case makes the electronics part of DIY seem quite simple.  I learned to anodize aluminum at home! Pretty simple, but one must be a bit careful with the sulphuric acid!! 

I will have to redo the back plate.    Did you know that if you make a great 1:1 2-D paper model of your board, transformer and chassis mounts, tape it accurately all on a 1:1 layout of the case footprint and follow that plan, you will get perfect results?

 "No", you say? Whad 'ya mean that "You have to invert the nice PDF board layout, Jim H. supplies,  because the component side is really down?"   

Tubes? (Not you Jim, mine!)  I am currently really liking Mullard 12AX7's and a RCA Cleartop 12AU7.

I'll post some pics, but someone will have to tell me how.  I am normally pretty good at this, but have tried image, url, paste, from gallery...all no go! The SMF Help doesn't!

Cheers,
Geary


 

[tubesforever]

Great news Geary!  Its the little stuff that drives me completely nuts....

I am in love with the JAN Sylvania and GE 12AU7 variants.  I think these are marked 6189 on the boxes.   They sound more linear than the clear top RCA in my system.  That said, the RCA clear tops sound pretty damn good to my ears!  Be on the lookout and get some of these JAN or JHS 6189 tubes.

I am sure you will enjoy the break in period of your C2.  I guarantee you that it will sound better in a month, in two months and then in 6 months than it does right now.  My C2 sounds sublime in my system and that is worth the price of admission.   

I thought I might never find a cost effective phono stage that could make me happy.  The C2 is superb in every way and you can tweak the thing to sound absolutely perfect in your own system.

Can anyone do better than that?

Cheers!

[galyons]

So here are some pics. (A rather convoluted imaging process, but I got there!!!)

Board.  The final signal caps, Vitamin Q’s, are elevated above the board.
They had threaded posts that I trimmed flush after fitting.
FT1’s bypass the Vit Q’s.
 


I built a quasi Faraday cage for the transformer wire
section. The B+ power supply 'lytics bypasses are KBG’s with K40’s.

 


View of board top. Faraday cage for tranny.
More shielding for transformer wires.

 

Front view with LED. The sides and front trim are solid rock maple.
Top and front center is anodized aluminum.

 



Powered and singing pretty!!
 

[tubesforever]

Geary this is a herculian Faraday shielding excercise. 

I can only imagine that it sounds as good as it looks.  This is one massive case for a Cornet 2!

I hope you enjoy the Panasonic TSHA caps as much as I do.  They are SMOOTH and that makes for some nice vinyl time.  Did you end up using the new EE balast resistors or the ED's like I used.  I really like these a lot.  They are more similar to the Black Gate measurements than the Nichicons.

Your 1.0uf  Russian PIO caps work out well in this enlarged case!

Excellent work Geary!  I love the wood and aluminum case work.  I know you are going to love your Cornet 2.  Your case work is exemplary!

Cheers!

[jameshuls]

Nice looking build Geary! It's interesting how when people do a custom build, they all have their different prioirites. You went for superior shielding, myself I went for a major in resonance control and drainage with a minor in shielding using copper plate and ERS cloth. Either way, it takes a helluva a lot of time! I am just about there with my Piccolo and Cornet case builds - I just need to do the final finishing -sanding, oiling waxing etc. This is especially time consuming, as the copper plate takes 5 levels of finishing to get to a mirror finish. I was there on a few pieces, but my three year old son thought I was making too much progress and put a few good scratches in both copper and wood pieces (A nice gouge in my front wood piece - I'm still not sure what I'm going to do about that one...)

Beautiful work - enjoy! My Piccolo and Cornet sounded stunning just sitting as a bare circuit board on the shelf. I can't imagine what they'll sound like with proper shielding, grounding and resonance control. And then there are the planned upgrades to the Piccolo...

[PatOMalley]

Nice job, Geary.

When I look at the stuff you guys do who go alone on chassis building it is amazing. Now I see what you did with the LED and how you could get your laces tied together. Impressive can caps. I guess you if you go outside the lines on chassis you can use anything you want. That looks like it was a ton of fun to put together.

And this board is a ton of help. Even now looking at your build I see that you used hookup wire with a bit of slack where I used very short hookup wire and picked up some hum. Always helpful, these pictures.

Looking at that array of resistors and caps for the RIAA is so familiar now that it looks like a familiar face. Ha! Just noticed you are bypassing with Russian Teflons. Nice aint it?

[galyons]

Geary this is a herculian Faraday shielding excercise. 

I can only imagine that it sounds as good as it looks.  This is one massive case for a Cornet 2!

Yeah, a big case, but the air was free!!  It has been really nice working with all of that open real estate! I really like the ability to remove the top and/or the bottom. I put the loading resistors and caps on the top, (tube side), just for easier access and work space!

I have several hundred hours on the C2 now. It is pretty amazing.  I occasionally switch back to the Rogue 99 board and the Cornet2 wins hands down in every category with the exception of soundstage depth.  The depth  has improved substantally. I modded the Rogue phono board with K40's. May play with it by replacing the Vishay Dales with PRP's and adding in some FT1 or FT2 bypassing the K40's. 

I hope you enjoy the Panasonic TSHA caps as much as I do.  They are SMOOTH and that makes for some nice vinyl time.  Did you end up using the new EE balast resistors or the ED's like I used.  I really like these a lot.  They are more similar to the Black Gate measurements than the Nichicons.

Your 1.0uf  Russian PIO caps work out well in this enlarged case!

Everything seems to work very well together such that I can not point to any particularly "brilliant choice" of components.  Jim has provided us with a well designed circuit and a great board.  I have never had a tube piece that highlights changes in tubes the way the Cornet2 does. Yes, there have been noticeable differences but with the C2 they are dramatic. 

I used ED's, (because that is what DigiKey shipped!). They are very good.  Definitely better  sounding, or more accurately, less damaging to the sound, than Nichicons that I have used in other  components.

I used 2.0uF KBG PIO's.  The 1.0uF's had not arrived when I was finishing the board. I have used these KBG caps in my amps and preamp. They are really nice sounding, but I have always bypassed them with K40's and/or FTx's.

Excellent work Geary!  I love the wood and aluminum case work.  I know you are going to love your Cornet 2.  Your case work is exemplary!

Cheers!

[galyons]

Nice job, Geary.

Thank you!!

When I look at the stuff you guys do who go alone on chassis building it is amazing. Now I see what you did with the LED and how you could get your laces tied together. Impressive can caps. I guess you if you go outside the lines on chassis you can use anything you want. That looks like it was a ton of fun to put together.

And this board is a ton of help. Even now looking at your build I see that you used hookup wire with a bit of slack where I used very short hookup wire and picked up some hum. Always helpful, these pictures.

Looking at that array of resistors and caps for the RIAA is so familiar now that it looks like a familiar face. Ha! Just noticed you are bypassing with Russian Teflons. Nice aint it?

Quite honestly this board has made the project all the more fun.   Jim, (tubesforever) has been a great sensei and I really appreciate his knowledge sharing nature. The experiences of the folks contributing to this board are extremely valuable! My deeply felt thanks to all!!

I think that we are all so mesmerized by the color contrast of the Kiwame's and PRP's to the point that any other combination or pattern looks "off"!!

[galyons]

Nice looking build Geary! It's interesting how when people do a custom build, they all have their different prioirites. You went for superior shielding, myself I went for a major in resonance control and drainage with a minor in shielding using copper plate and ERS cloth. Either way, it takes a helluva a lot of time! I am just about there with my Piccolo and Cornet case builds - I just need to do the final finishing -sanding, oiling waxing etc. This is especially time consuming, as the copper plate takes 5 levels of finishing to get to a mirror finish. I was there on a few pieces, but my three year old son thought I was making too much progress and put a few good scratches in both copper and wood pieces (A nice gouge in my front wood piece - I'm still not sure what I'm going to do about that one...)

Beautiful work - enjoy! My Piccolo and Cornet sounded stunning just sitting as a bare circuit borad on the shelf. I can't imagine what they'll sound like with proper shielding, grounding and resononce control. And then there are the planned upgrades to the Piccolo...

Thanks!
The shielding was evolutionary.  I first tried just twisting the AC pairs, then copper braid shielding. Still hum.  Having the tranny in essentially the same plane as the board needed to be addressed, although the bells were horizontal to the board.

I am a big believer in minimizing resonance, especially at the gain levels of a phono stage.   That is why I used wood and aluminum together to constrain resonance. The board attaches front and back to MDF braces, not the aluminum shielding.  The top and bottom are rather thick aluminum sheet.

I have some copper to try RFI shielding. I am going to listen awhile longer before adding, if necessary. But I know that I have some RFI bleed as my cell phone creates a nasty signal when it is in my pocket and I am changing a record. But cell phones are notoriously ugly RFI emitters.

Would love to see some pics when you get a chance. (See, I am a bit cocky. I just figured out today how to post pics!! )

Cheers,
Geary

[tubesforever]

Geary,

The Kiwamis are good but smokey sounding.  I used the S102's in the direct signal path just to give me clarity and focus.  Interestingly, the FT-3 teflons also deliver this same trait.  In my Piccolo I hear a lot of the same traits as the Vishay for just 35 cents a resistor.  That saves me 11.60 each!  What is not to like. 

If you think you require any additional shielding, you might want to consider some TI shielding.  This is basically a high nickle content stainless steel / copper alloy.  You get the best properties of both MU metal and copper EMI control focused in the audio range where we most need it. 

It is a lot cheaper and easier to form than Mu metal.   

I bought mine at PercyAudio.com.

Your casework looks excellent.  I am a huge believer in CLD and your case makes it look elegant!

[jameshuls]

I am a big believer in minimizing resonance, especially at the gain levels of a phono stage.   That is why I used wood and aluminum together to constrain resonance. The board attaches front and back to MDF braces, not the aluminum shielding.  The top and bottom are rather thick aluminum sheet.

Ah yes, I see now - you have created such an elegant solution, I did not even notice it!

The combination of wood and metal seems to be a powerful combination of resonance control. I did quite a bit of material research looking for a wood that would excel at turning resonance to heat. I settled on a few choices, but eventually chose wenge as the main wood. It is a bitch to work with, as it is fibrous and tends to pull up. However, this is the very quality that makes it a superior resonance drain. The long fibres (similar to bamboo - another choice, but unable to source) make it a very strong wood. Essentially, all of those space-age hyper expensive damping products made by the likes of SRA, HRS etc. are man-made attempts to mimic wood. Think about a tree, say coconut for example (another choice, which I could not source) - you see a video of these in a hurricane, and they whip back and forth like crazy - providing it stays standing, all of that energy is converted to heat. Can you think of a man-made product that can do that? Carbon fiber, perhaps - check out prices on online metals - it would be a $1000 at least for the materials. My piece of wenge was not cheap - $60, but compared to the carbon fiber? And it looks much better with the brass and copper, which are superior at transferring and draining resonance to the wood.

When I tap the copper top plate of my piccolo, there is a dull thunk - no ringing whatsoever. This was my goal!

I keep meaning to post pics, but I always think - just a few more days and I'll be finished. One of these days...

[galyons]

I am a big believer in minimizing resonance, especially at the gain levels of a phono stage.   That is why I used wood and aluminum together to constrain resonance. The board attaches front and back to MDF braces, not the aluminum shielding.  The top and bottom are rather thick aluminum sheet.

Ah yes, I see now - you have created such an elegant solution, I did not even notice it!

The combination of wood and metal seems to be a powerful combination of resonance control. I did quite a bit of material research looking for a wood that would excel at turning resonance to heat. I settled on a few choices, but eventually chose wenge as the main wood. It is a bitch to work with, as it is fibrous and tends to pull up. However, this is the very quality that makes it a superior resonance drain. The long fibres (similar to bamboo - another choice, but unable to source) make it a very strong wood. Essentially, all of those space-age hyper expensive damping products made by the likes of SRA, HRS etc. are man-made attempts to mimic wood. Think about a tree, say coconut for example (another choice, which I could not source) - you see a video of these in a hurricane, and they whip back and forth like crazy - providing it stays standing, all of that energy is converted to heat. Can you think of a man-made product that can do that? Carbon fiber, perhaps - check out prices on online metals - it would be a $1000 at least for the materials. My piece of wenge was not cheap - $60, but compared to the carbon fiber? And it looks much better with the brass and copper, which are superior at transferring and draining resonance to the wood.

When I tap the copper top plate of my piccolo, there is a dull thunk - no ringing whatsoever. This was my goal!

I keep meaning to post pics, but I always think - just a few more days and I'll be finished. One of these days...

I am not a good woodworker.  I longingly searched through the exotic wood bins at the local Rockler... Wenge, Bubinga, Ebony, Rosewood, Myrtle, Bloodwood. You name it. All beautiful, expensive and just waiting for me to ruin!!     I am pretty happy with my maple. It was relatively inexpensive.  I do not have a band saw and ripping the front pieces from 1x stock was a bit dicey.  A little router magic and my woodworking skills are pretty much exhausted!!

My brother is a very good finish carpenter, but lives in the very North of Idaho. I don't think the snow has melted enough for him to get into his shop!!  But maybe later he will help go fancy!!

Looking forward to the pics!

Cheers,
Geary

[PatOMalley]

Hey Geary,

Been listening and have gotten so used to the Teflon sound at .015 that the current situation sounds a little closed in with just the Obbligato's at output. I know all is not burned in yet and only going on 15 hours tops but I put them in tonight and the difference is apparent.

The little Russian teflons I am using at bypass increase instrument placement and imaging in a big way, top end detail and air. There is an opening out and into. And at .015uF they do not rob the midrange of anything.

[galyons]

Hi Pat,
I am a cautious user of Teflon caps. My final cap mix, (208) is a Vitamin Q bypassed with a TF1 .022uF. Generally the Vit Q's hold up very well solo.  They have a bit more sparkle than K40's, which IMO, are just a little darker.  The Vit Q + TF1 combo is sounding very nice with just a bit more treble extension.

I put some of the K72's in a previous preamp build and amp mod and never got a sound that I could enjoy.  I finally pulled them and replaced with K40's.  I know Tubes... is a big fan of the FT1's.  I may try FT2's at 203 later.

Give the C2 quite a bit more mellowing time.  K40's need a minimum of 50 hours break in.  The TFx's, longer.  Mike Samra, (AA & Golden Tube Audio forum) claims that the TF2's have the shortest break in.  My experience is that the K72's take the longest, but I think that the TFx series is much better sounding.
I never could get rid of an upper glare with the K72's.

Let your C2 cook and enjoy the music as it simmers!!

Cheers,
Geary

Cheers,
Geary