Dynamic Turtle needs a new phono stage - Budget up to £1500

Hi,

It boils down to practically completely disassemble the Dajngo and re-build, except the wiring from input jacks to the Input selector switch.

Never had a chance to directly compare. Reading between the lines and based upon our experiences in upping the iron content in S&B Transformers I would suspect that they fall into a direction closer to the AM transformers.

Basically, AM (unless it is in effect AM Permalloy) is still just generic iron, except it has no crystal structure.

But the BH Curve (which describes how the core gets magnetised by the applied signal and then applies the signal back to the secondary and which can be taken as transfer curve, similar to that in amplifiers) for AM Iron is still that for iron and not that for nickel/iron alloy (aka superpermalloy, mumetal, Ni/Fe 80/20). And the BH curve for Iron is a lot less linear than that for Ni/Fe 80/20.

As said, I do not have a Cole at hand, my own Phonostage shares a lot of the Principles but is also in crucial areas different. A Pentode connected E810F loaded into 600 Ohm does different from a Hybrid Mu-Follower using an ECC88.

Ciao T

 

Thanks! Thats close enough to satisfy my curiosity if it uses the S&B stepup and riaa modules. I am just interested in hearing that approach whether in the cole or not. No rush obviously - I know you are very busy

I assume you are talking about hysteresis and non-linearity effects like the transfer function. It does seem the AM core is adding something so I look forward to getting the S&B for comparison. I have also ordered a stepup to try with the borbely which wil be switcheable mc/mm. If that works well then I will borrow or buy a silver stepup to compare with the copper before deciding to put silver into the Django.

Can a soldering klutz like myself do it easily enough or do I need to find an electrician?

 

Nick, if you look in the book I gave you with the Django you will find detailed instructions on how to install the transformers.

 

Ah ok I will take a look!

 

Hang on a minute - is the S&B TX option is purely used as a step-up for MC carts? If so, that may not be necessary, as the Dyna outputs 2.8mV.

DT

 

What puts me off the stage DT is that there is realistically no way to hear one before you buy (as it is a kit, and an american one at that), that it would be difficult to sell on being a relatively unknown brand, and that if you did so you'd only get 1/2 your money back.

I would love to hear one though.

 

Hi,

Yes.

Indeed, it will be fine then without any stepup transformer.

Ciao T

 

Hi,

It is not american, but HK.

In terms of performance I'd expect you need to go up to and maybe past stuff like the Lamm LP2, Aesthetix Io and the Wavac.

Ciao T

 

Me too! How can I do it?

 

we can't rely on opinion on these things though, and thats the problem.. we have to have demo's in our own kit in our own room.

For example T, you said that the transformer based pre-amp I tried was considerably better than my consonance basie pre, but in the context of my system/room it was demonstrably worse to my ears and the ears of other people in the room.

With a kit, you just can't have the demo you need... unless you chance across someone who already has one.

 

Or maybe it just opened the window wider on a problem elsewhere - its like peeling an onion.

 

Hi,

Absolutely. That would something that would need to be discussed with Brian Cherry, it's his business... What I do know is that the S&B LCR RIAA Modules are in perpetual short supply (just as the other "reference grade" S&B Products), so you may find that Brian would be able to offer options to allow a return if not suitable and not marked etc...

But as said, that is not my area.

Ciao T

 

thats always possible. Equally possible of course that in your own system the transformer passive ''closed'' the window on a problem elsewhere.

both idea's are a hiding to nothing - a home dem is always the answer.

 

Indeed - yes when in the passive tvc everything got unequivocably much better. But the AM core still has colourations - hence trying the S&B core next.

There is no foolproof method for persuing improvement unfortunately - I think we will both admit that

 

see my classified

much loved delphini 2 nc for sale

 

Don't forget the Brinkmann Fein...
And you can home demm it from Walrus..

 

I have owned the brinkmann fein - if you are single source its a great idea as it has a buffered volume control so you can run it straight into a power amp and its great value for money. Otherwise there are better choices. Brinkmann is bringing out a new higher performance unit though.

 

How about a group buy of an S&B'ed Cole? If, say, three people chip in to try one, the loss on reselling if it turns out to be no good would be bearable. I'd be willing to join in.

 

not me sorry.

I only buy equipment I can sell on for similar amounts of money, and try not to buy blind.

 

Out of three, the chances are one of you will want it though...