[Jerwardemy]

I've had my Cornet 2 together for 5 months or so and overall it sounds great, but it sounds slightly forward and harsh from the upper mids on.  I've compared it to my Cambridge Audio Azure 640P and the recapped phono in my Marantz 2270, and the Cornet always sounds much better, but much more fatiguing. I just assumed this was due to more detail.  But recently I recorded some albums from the output of my Cornet into my computer...and also straight from the turntable and added the RIAA curve through Audacity.  Well, it can't be because of added detail...the Cornet recordings were more forward and harsh on the top end.

   I have tried many types of tubes, and while they all have their own flavor...the "forward" problem still exists. I believe it might have to do with my choice of components...I decided to go cheap at first...B+ caps are stock Panasonics, Interstage caps are Sonicap Gen 2, Outputs were Panasonics (they are now Russian PIO...these smoothed things out a lil) and the EQ caps are Orange Drops 716's. I've heard that Orange Drops can be kinda bright and harsh, so I'm hoping this might be it.  I wasn't sure if you could check capacitance of caps in circuit but I tried anyway...the .047uf's tested right on the money...but the .001uf's were reading around .0022uf. Would slightly higher value caps in the .001uf position cause my problem?

I plan on ordering some Sonicap Gen 1's, Mundorf SIO for output, and Audiocap PCU for the interstage caps. 

I was just curious if I'm going about this right...or if that is just the nature of this amp

[WGH]

The Cornet2 is never bright. I have not heard the Azure or Marantz, perhaps they have a soft top end that masks the brightness of your cartridge. Maybe your needle is worn or the VTA is off.

Let us know how the different caps work out, the Mundorf and Sonicap combo work very well in the Cornet2.

Wayne

[Jerwardemy]

Yeah, the Marantz might have a slightly soft top end....but I'm not so sure about the Azure.  My cart really shouldn't be that bright either....it's a Grado Gold1 and I put a new stylus in about 2 months ago.  I have fooled around with VTA for months...slightly tail down seems to be the sweet spot. 

But what gets me is that the recordings I made straight from the turntable to computer with RIAA applied by Audacity aren't as bright sounding as the recordings I made from the output of the Cornet into Audacity...seems to me like that means the Cornet is adding some brightness to the music.

Hopefully the new caps will address this...

[poty]

Before spending on a new caps I'd check the source of problem. The boutique caps can change flavor, not the overall picture.
First - could you explain how did you managed to connect turntable to computer? There should be a device between, providing load for cartridge and nessesary (rather high) amplification.
Then you cannot check caps without unsoldering at least one lead - it could be only estimate in the circuit. Your reading for 1nF caps is rather high and this can be the root of the problem. The RIAA curve in the Cornet is defined by:
R204, R205, C202 - the filter passes more low frequencies. If the C202 is too small (in value) or R205 is too high then the attenuation of high frequencies is not enough;
C203, R207 - the filter passes more high frequencies. If the C203 is too big (in value) or R207 is too big - the high frequencies is amplified more than nessesary;
R213, C204 - like the first filter - passes more low frequencies. Then you should measure the C204 and R213 as well.

[Jerwardemy]

Ok...the loading may be a problem when recording the turntable directly to the computer...but it sounds great   All I used was a female rca Y cable to 1/8" male jack...plugged the 1/8" jack straight into the computer and recorded the unamplified/unequalised signal into Audacity.  I then applied the RIAA curve in Audacity...then used the Amplify effect in Audacity which amplifies the recording to just below clipping.

Anyways...after thinking about it, the "forwardness" is more in the mids than anything...voices such as Geddy Lee from Rush are just too much...but on my other phono's it's presented evenly with the rest of the music.  If the top end was harsh, I would be annoyed by over-bearing symbols, but this is not the case.  So this makes me wonder if it could just be the .1uf Sonicap Gen2's...they are said to have a midrange bloom and push the mids out in front a little.  In other threads it was suggested that the .1uf caps should be the cleanest, most neutral cap you can find...but in my case, the Gen 2's are probably the most colored.

[poty]

female rca Y cable to 1/8" male jack...plugged the 1/8" jack straight into the computer

You mean you plugged the jack to microphone input of the computer? Because in the other way (line input for example) I doubt you can hear anything.

...the loading may be a problem ... recorded the unamplified/unequalised signal ...  applied the RIAA curve ... used the Amplify effect ... to just below clipping.

After this many conversions and

it sounds great

? Then something is very good in your computer or mine view on "sounds great" is completely different from yours.
RIAA has huge effect on all frequencies. Without the correction before digitising you may have clipped or distorted highs and noisy lows. After digitising you cannot recover more info than stored into the digits. So, amplifying the signal (in digits) is not like in analog - the "depth" (the number of bits in the word of sample) stays the same. It is VERY strange that you didn't hear this effects.

Anyways...after thinking about it, the "forwardness" is more in the mids than anything...voices such as Geddy Lee from Rush are just too much...but on my other phono's it's presented evenly with the rest of the music.  If the top end was harsh, I would be annoyed by over-bearing symbols, but this is not the case.  So this makes me wonder if it could just be the .1uf Sonicap Gen2's...they are said to have a midrange bloom and push the mids out in front a little.  In other threads it was suggested that the .1uf caps should be the cleanest, most neutral cap you can find...but in my case, the Gen 2's are probably the most colored.

I insist that changing a cap of the correct value to another cap of the same value even several times more in cost cannot affect so dramatically to the overall picture. Stock caps or your Sonicaps must work well in the means of the tonal balance in the circuit if all is right. Changing the caps may of course solve the problem (resoldering cold joints, using the right values...). But at what expenses?!