[Rocket]

Hi Guys,

Finally my timing was okay and i was the lucky purchaser of the classic cornet phonostage which Jim was selling on audiogon.

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?preaphon&1151386973

I have a nice bluenote piccolo turntable (probably about the same quality as a rega 25 turntable) and i currently use a denon dl103 low output mc cartridge.  This turntable and cartridge have had very little use as i had a perreaux sxv1 phonostage which i didn't really like.  I had a bugle battery powered phonostage and it was good for an entry level phonostage but i really wanted something better and when i listened to it i inevitably forgot to turn it off and flattened the battery.

What should i do?  Money is very very tight and i am wondering if i should get rid of the denon and buy a reasonably good but low cost mm cartridge or high output mc cartridge or should i buy a step up transformer for the cornet.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Regards

Rod

[GBB]

The classic cheap stepup transformer for the Denon DL103 is the Altec 15095.  This is a mic input transformer that many have converted over to MC stepup duty.  You can usually get these on ebay for anywhere between US $75 and $150 for a pair.  I'm not sure if those fit in your budget but it would be a killer combination with your Denon and probably much better than anything you can do for near the price.

The following website has some interesting comparison of different surplus transformers when used as step ups.

http://members.myactv.net/~je2a3/mic-mcstep-up.htm

---Gary

[andyr]

Hi Guys,

i had a bugle battery powered phonostage and it was good for an entry level phonostage but i really wanted something better and when i listened to it i inevitably forgot to turn it off and flattened the battery.

What should i do? Money is very very tight and i am wondering if i should get rid of the denon and buy a reasonably good but low cost mm cartridge or high output mc cartridge or should i buy a step up transformer for the cornet...

Hi Rod,

Many people think the Denon 103 is quite a nice cartridge ... so why not keep it?  

That means you need a step-up device.  If you really are a forgetful fellow (or you tend to drink a few bottles of red while you're listening to vinyl !!    ) and so will always forget to turn off a battery-powered device then you need to go the step-up transformer route.  You can pay anything from, say, $A100 - A$10,000 for a pair of these (and you probably "get what you pay for"!!    )

Or ... why not give Hugh Dean a call - I use his really excellent, battery powered head amp ("Paris") with my Benz LP.  I have 2 little switches on the front panel - down, the batteries are charging; up the unit is on (and the charger is disconnected)!!  

I lent this recently to someone who was using a ~A$1,000/pair step-up transformers and he stopped using the step-ups (and won't give me Paris back!!    ).

Regards,

Andy

[Rocket]

Hi Andy,

Thanks for replying to my post.  I had the bugle converted to an ac power supply but it hummed terribly and i haven't used my turntable for well over a year now.

Anyway i jumped at the chance of owning the classic cornet but i am a little tight pressed for money at the moment.  I'm currently finishing off my zalytron speaker kit and having the cabinets painted.

I am a former owner of a aksa 100 nirvana plus and know hugh's work and customer service well.  I had a look at his website but didn't find anything about the Paris headphone amp.  Do you know how much he sells them for?  I am useless at diy and wouldn't try to build one.  How can i use a headphone amp as a stepup for the low output denon?

Thanks for your help.

Regards

Rod

[andyr]

Hi Andy,

Thanks for replying to my post.  

... I had a look at his website but didn't find anything about the Paris headphone amp. Do you know how much he sells them for? I am useless at diy and wouldn't try to build one. How can i use a headphone amp as a stepup for the low output denon? ...

Hi Rod,

I was over your way last week!    Yes, "Paris" is not yet up on the AKSA web-site so I suggest you email Hugh.  I know two things about Paris (well, yes, I also saw then Internet clip from her "famous" video too!!    ):
a) he has had trouble sourcing Paris's vital component but managed to score a good supply a coupla weeks ago, and
b) you're lucky you're in Oz ... I think Hugh will be able to build one for you, as A/Post won't charge a fortune to ship it over to Perth (gel-cell batteries weigh a lot!).

Now, B4 I go any further, let me put my schoolmaster's hat on and correct your phrasing!!     It's not an f'ing "headphone amp" ... this is a little amp you need to drive headphones!!

It's a "head amp" (and because it gives good head, it's called "Paris"!!    ).  A "head amp" is the device which sits in front of a MM phono stage to amplify the, typically, 0.4mV output of a low-output MC cartridge to get to the, typically, 5mV of a MM cartridge.  

So your Denon 103 plugs into "Paris" and the output from Paris plugs into your Cornet MM phono stage.  Paris just amplifies but the Cornet does the RIAA equalisation (as well as providing a bit more amplification!!).

Cost for a built-up one I'm afraid I can't tell you ... because you want Hugh to make it up (not sell it as a kit).  But, as I'm sure you know already ... it will be a bargain!!  Just contact him!!  

Regards,

Andy

[Rocket]

Hi Andy,

Thanks for your help and suggestion.  I will contact hugh directly and find out more information from him.  It seems a little silly getting rid of the denon if i can have an affordable 'head amp' as you call it.  I'm not at all familiar with these things.

Regards

Rod