High-end preamp for my GC

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peranders said:
Carlos, you haven't thought about driving the cable with the same source impedance as the cable? I see that you are near that. Why don't you test 50 ohms out, 50 ohms cable and last 50 ohms load? (or the impedance you have)


I may try that, I think I still have some RG58 "10Base2" 50 ohm network cable in my basement, from my hardware days.:dodgy:
 
carlosfm said:



What speaker cable?
My speaker cable is Kimber 4TC...
I was referring to the interconnect cable that is soldered to the preamp board on the picture.
Anyway, I have Cat.5 as speaker cable on one of my systems and I think it's very good.
A cable that transmits very high frequencies over a 100-120m distance has to be good.
Did you know that a cable, to be Cat.5 (that's a norm), has to use high-purity OFC copper?
Yes, it's OFC copper.

Hi, Carlosfm,
Why don't you both try using ANY cable and cable compensation circuit /electronics/ - this requires only a single op-amp and a few passives and is better to integrate in the power amp.

:idea: :bulb:
 
machinow said:


Hi, Carlosfm,
Why don't you both try using ANY cable and cable compensation circuit /electronics/ - this requires only a single op-amp and a few passives and is better to integrate in the power amp.

:idea: :bulb:


More op-amps in the signal path?
No, thanks.:devily:
I did my preamp thinking in minimum components in the signal path.:dodgy:
 
(after one evening plenty of beer)
A paint? no thanks, it's too much, maybe a half-paint...😉

Sorry for the joke, Carlos, but this stage we have fitted a lot of components in the signal path!!I don't see them but there are a lot inside !!

Anyway, I agree with you in that the lesser components outside the chips are preffered.

By the way, I already have the buf and the opa, so I will try soon. Which trafo are you using?
 
Raka said:
(after one evening plenty of beer)
A paint? no thanks, it's too much, maybe a half-paint...😉

Sorry for the joke, Carlos, but this stage we have fitted a lot of components in the signal path!!I don't see them but there are a lot inside !!

Anyway, I agree with you in that the lesser components outside the chips are preffered.

By the way, I already have the buf and the opa, so I will try soon. Which trafo are you using?


:scratch: A paint or a pint?
Anyway, sometimes with a couple of beers even the solder flows better.:devily:

Ok, Raka, but you can't do an op-amp based preamp with much less parts than this one, only if you take the buffer out, but the buffer is a fundamental part of my pre.
I could have the power amp on the other side of the house, my pre would drive it with no problems.
Of course the op-amps have transistors inside...
What I wouldn't do is to put another op-amp after my pre, no way.

Ah, the trafo...
This gorgeous little toroid is 2x20V, and was salvaged from an old Nokia modem:devily: , from the days when those things were very expensive, but very well built.
My PSU is stabilized at +/- 18 volts.
 
Raka said:
Carlos
Thanks for the info. As soon as I get the trafo I'm trying a pre like yours.


Hey Raka, one thing at each time.
I'm still waiting to hear your impressions about the OPA2228 on your phono preamp.🙄

Anyway, tomorrow I'm going on vacancies for a week and my new contact is the Desert Island.:devily:
With some cold beer.
Two pints, please.😉
See you guys in a week.😎
 
LOL, I'm back!

Guys, let me tell you...
The day before going on my holidays, I've been listening to my creation.
It had been playing for a week, the Dac connected to my pre, and the cd-player in repeat.
I ejected the cd that was playing and put Diana Krall "Live in Paris".
The moment I hit play, I got 😱 😱 😱 😱 :bigeyes: :bigeyes: :bigeyes: .
Wooooooooooooowwwww...
I felt like I was going to cry...
The treble was soooooo pure as I never heard in a system.
It reminds me the sound I hear when a guy is playing drums in front of me.😉
The burning-in once again proves to make difference.
This is audio nirvana, at last.
I knew I have excellent speakers (Epos 11), excellent Dac (Audio Alchemy DDE v3.0, tweaked with OPA627s and a double-regulated PSU made by me), but deam, now they're delivering.
I never thought I could have a sound like this at home, this is ultra-high-end, and I could never afford it.
That's the beauty of DIY.:nod:
 
It's a good thing to back home 😉

I usually go out at the weekend and as soon as I enter, I switch on the hifi and I think this is good...

I also have the Live in Paris, and I use this CD to check things as it seems to be a good recording. Too easy to listen to, my ears say, btw. Nice hand played guitar on track 4 (?) intro.

Do you know if your neighbors like Diana too? Maybe they don't anymore :clown:
 
Raka said:

Do you know if your neighbors like Diana too? Maybe they don't anymore :clown:


I have other options too, like Marcus Miller's excellent "M3".
Put that cd playing and get out of the way, the man kicks an impressive sound out of his bass.
The same goes for Stanley Clarke's impressive "At the movies" cd.
And many others.😉
 
The moment I hit play, I got .
Wooooooooooooowwwww...
I felt like I was going to cry...

Welcome back Carlos, hope you had a good break!

I'm a little confused here! 😕 Did you change something in your system for it to give you this ecstatic reaction or was it just the fact that it has burned in longer?

Of course, I have that DK CD and know that also helps 😉
 
Oh yes, ecstasy is the term

Nuuk said:


Welcome back Carlos, hope you had a good break!

I'm a little confused here! 😕 Did you change something in your system for it to give you this ecstatic reaction or was it just the fact that it has burned in longer?

Of course, I have that DK CD and know that also helps 😉


Hi Nuuk,
No, I didn't change absolutely anything.
And I had listened to that DK cd before, with the preamp as it is, laying on the floor, without a box, and with provisorious wiring.
But I noticed, after a week of burning-in, a widening of the soundstage and a "clean-up" of the treble, absolutely no grain, clean clean clean clean...😱
What was already excellent is now stratospheric.😱
Did the floor burn-in too?😱 😱 :clown:
I can't put it in words, take the first plane to Lisbon and come on, let's hear it.😎
I've got good beer too.😉
 
JOE DIRT® said:
Carlos I`ll be right over to drink your beer and listen to this system...hahaha

DIRT®


Come on, JOE, lol lol lol!!!
Oh, and bring one of your boxes, maby I find a good transformer for my ultra-small GC!:clown:
And I need a box too.:bawling:
I told my wife to buy a little wood box, those where women put their diamonds and pearls.:clown:
It was burning-in all the week while I was on holidays.:devily:
Let's see if I "burned-in" my bench too.:clown:
 
I built these for you Carlos...like the 100 000 cfm cooling fans???
 

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