I have modified my Clarinet and Cornet 2 to perform against the top dollar world class stuff and have taken my gear on the road to compare it side to side with what's out there.
I have played my Cornet 2 against some pretty expensive boutique gear and in every case my Cornet 2 provided higher dynamics, better frequency response, midrange SET magic, and a "close your eyes and enjoy the magic" sound that few audiophiles will experience.
Is my Cornet 2 perfect. Hell No! But that's the fun of DIY audio. There's always that different resistor, specialty cap, or NOS tube you can roll in for the sheer fun of it.
The journey is better than the destination. What I have learned from all these tweaks and twists is that Jim Hagerman designed the circuit to be simple, elegant, with short pathways and alter the signal as little as possible. He has some other voodoo Mojo stuff that us electronic geeks like as well. For instance using a double board puts the signal and the ground in super close proximity. You get less noise this way than with point to point wiring.
Jim is a superstar! When you can play up against a Pass Xono, a Manley Steelhead, a Lamm, a Thor, an Audio Research PH-3, A Wright Mod, a Bedini 6677, and come away a clear winner then what else is there to say. Hell I will say it. "This dog will hunt!"
When you build your C2 pack it with the best parts you can afford. The Cornet 2 phono section will deliver the magic in spades.
Cheers!
