Jim - The Cornet 3 sounds interesting:
I think it is the number one reason the TRUMPET sounded so good, not the fact that it was differential. So imaging a single-ended CORNET style phono with TRUMPET style power supplies. Good power factor means choke input supplies, no diodes pulse charging caps, like every other design out there. And I mean all of them. Because I want to do the choke thing on the heaters too, not just B+. Well, this leads to a lot of iron, a low of magnetic fields, and more cost. But not that much more. Pretending I used the same chassis, I came up with all new designs for a phono and a monoblock. The phono has 6.3Vdc heaters from balanced bipolar choked rectification. Normally this ends up at +/-5Vdc with a pair of 6.3V windings, but I made it lossy in an LCRC topology. Result is about 20mV ripple. Then for B+, using the small power transformers (that fit under hood), I can barely squeeze out 210Vdc or 220Vdc. That's way lower than what a CORNET requires. Ok, how about using 12AY7 or 6072 tubes for the gain and EQ stage with CCS? I think noise will go down, linearity up, dynamics too. Heck, I almost don't need the CCS, a 50k plate load might do the trick. I like this tube.
Is there a possibility of an upgrade kit for us happy Cornet2 owners? A separate case for all the iron and chokes with an umbilical cord would be perfect. I would guess you already have a large Cornet2 client base that would be interested. As VPI, Linn, and many other manufacturers have found out - audiophiles love an upgrade path. A post card or email to past customers would generate interest, and a pre-order sale would cover development costs.
