Phono Stage upgrade to complement Dohmann Helix One Mk 2
Thanks to the recommendations from many users on this Audiogon blog, I think I was able to make a more informed purchase of a turntable, the Dohmann Helix One Mk 2. I've really been enjoying the turntable for the past month!
The next phase of my system now needs attention: the phono stage. Currently, I'm using a Manley Steelhead v2 running into an Ypsilon PST-100 Mk2 SE pre-amplifier (into Ypsilon Hyperion monoblocks, into Sound Lab M745PX electrostatic speakers).
I've been told that I could really improve my system by upgrading the phono stage from the Manley Steelhead (although I've also been told that the Manley Steelhead is one of the best phono stages ever made).
Interestingly, two of the top phono stages that I'm considering require a step-up transformer (SUT). I'm not fully informed about any inherent advantages or disadvantages of using an SUT versus connecting directly to the phono stage itself.
I suppose my current top two considerations for a phono stage are the Ypsilon VPS-100 and the EM/IA LR Phono Corrector, both of which utilize an SUT. I don't have a particular price range, but I find it hard to spend $100k on stereo components, so I'm probably looking in the $15k - $70k price range.
Thanks.
Dear @holmz @drbond : In reality Schroder is using Löfgren alignment the A one. Things are that years after Löfgren created his alignments A/B Baerwald alignment solution gives exactly the same value set up parameters however almost all audiophiles gave to Baerwald the credit for that alignment when was not Baerwald who first did it but Löfgren with his A solution.
R. |
Thanks @rauliruegas . I was using this:
I see it says effective length: 239.3 (but I have a CB-9 not Bond’s CB-11)
And then and here:
I thought that Loefgren was 2mm different, but it is Stevenson and AP that are. Using DIN I see it as:
On IEC/RIAA, the 0.447 mm is about 20 thou, so it would be easy to end up Loefgren-B if one wanted Baerwald, but did not account for the drag pulling cantilever back and changing effective length to make it longer. But going from IEC/RIAA to DIN, then everything jumps about a mm, so how important is all this stuff? Are there UNIDEN and other calculators? |
@drbond , If you are having trouble getting a CB counterweight I would be happy to make one for you. I had the same problem and the stock weight was too heavy for the cartridge I was using at the time. I asked everyone for a counterweight. Even Frank Schroder could not supply one in a reasonable period of time. Thrax was totally unresponsive which really pissed Frank off. Anyway, I got a brass blank and turned it on my wood lathe. The only way you can tell it from a stock weight is the color is a little darker otherwise it is an exact replica. You just have to tell be what weight you want. I still have quite a lot of that brass blank left. I also could not get any extra cartridge mounting plates from Thrax. Frank graciously supplied those. |
@holmz : " so how important is all this stuff? "
Wel, today almost only through Löfgren alignments is the way to set up any cartridge along a pivoted tonearm. So it’s way important. Now, Löfgren alignments exist and its internet calculators ( Vlinyl Engine has other good calculator alternative. ) and what’s important is tomake the cartridge/set up as accurate we can do it. Tiny errors with the set up makes a difference for not so good quality performance. Many times we even are not aware of those errors because through evaluations listen sessions we really don’t know what to look for. The other parameters in a set-up as VTA/SRA/Zenith/AZ/VTF and the like are way imortant too to achieve the best quality performance levels we can Even that we can take extreme care on the overall set-up you can be sure is not perfect as always exist trade-offs due the intrinsical relationship between all those parameters where ( example ) a change in VTF changes too other parameters that you have to modify and is an almost endless situation. So, we have to try that our cartridge/tonearm be at its best each one of us can.
Btw and I already posted: unidin is not a new alignment that could needs a especial calculator with different equations that the Löfgren alignments, unidin is only a manipulation of the input parameters in the normal calculators but forgeret that as Stevenson A is inferior alignment to the LÖfgren ones. Don't worry about.
R. |
Thanks @rauliruegas I have some taps and access to a milling machine. The alloy piece with the 1 hole in the middle and then the 2 holes for the cartridge. It is that that you make out of brass? And then maybe 2+ of them and have the cart all set on each, and then when it gets swapped on you adjust nothing but VTF? Or is the cart shimmed (Wally style) so that it is just set the height (VTA) and VTF, which witching carts? |
