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Not sure, IME there is more to it than just summing up L+R when converting stereo to mono...I have heard several different methods of converting stereo into mono side by side with a true mono recording and the result was (more or less depending on what method) markedly different than a true mono recording being played back.

There is a phase shift on which stereo relies that you cannot make go away when adding up signals.

Anyway,
A second tone arm and cartridge for the odd stereo record will be added.
My Joule also had a phase button so the mono recordings would also be in phase phase at the same time😴
 
My preamp has a 'Dim' feature, but it doesn't seem to work on audiophiles :p
 
fancy, I have been using black masking tape on various LEDs to 'audiophile' them after finding out adding a kill-switch was not worth the effort.
 
was it intended for audiophiles to begin with?
Wait, were you talking about the preamp or the 'Dim'-feature?

The 'Dim'-function was clearly designed to attenuate audiophiles, but the whole thing is designed to work in a pro setting..

😄
 
I'll admit that the thought crossed my mind that the pre amp had a toggle for dim-witted listeners, of which there are plenty to go around both in a pro (how ever pro is defined) and audiophile environment ;)
 
I'll admit that the thought crossed my mind that the pre amp had a toggle for dim-witted listeners, of which there are plenty to go around both in a pro (how ever pro is defined) and audiophile environment ;)
Since this is the DIY thread I will share a picture. Made by yours truly. Even did the engraving by hand..
mm-1_front.jpg
 
I promise to upload loads of pics when the beast arrives...it's a huge cabinet weighing a LOT so getting it home is a project in itself. First thing to do is to discuss (and negotiate) a bit about that beauty and some paraphernalia like a Gray Arm and a Fairchild 225a or similar, and a few rare records...I cannot believe it yet...
Many years ago the mono seed was planted, hearing a good TT with a good cartridge and a single speaker in an old School Gym....recently I heard mono again...and was blown away by its energy, directness and musicality, one less hurdle sound MUSIC does not have to overcome...
OH boy I gotta follow this thread!🍿
 
OH boy I gotta follow this thread!🍿
Here's my DIY Lenco-based turntable with a mono cartridge on a highish mass Pioneer PA 70 tonearm and a Soundsmith stereo cartridge on an air bearing linear tone arm. My phono stage has 2 MC inputs and 1 MM input (and a mono switch). The mono side only gets used about 20% of the time, but it sounds great.
IMG_0970.JPG


I've only seen pictures of the RCA transcription 'table. The owner of Oswalds Mills Audio has one and it was the inspiration for his SOTA direct drive turntable.

 
Nice Lenco project!

A Lenco project was my initial start, as finding a 16" TT is not that easy....so I found a Lenco L75 and cleaned it, relubed the motor and got it running really smoothly (one of the previous owners never undid the transport screws) and I was ready to kick the project to upgrade it with all the bells and whistles off once the Audio Server project is done...and now this beast suddenly comes along.
 
Nice Lenco project!

A Lenco project was my initial start, as finding a 16" TT is not that easy....so I found a Lenco L75 and cleaned it, relubed the motor and got it running really smoothly (one of the previous owners never undid the transport screws) and I was ready to kick the project to upgrade it with all the bells and whistles off once the Audio Server project is done...and now this beast suddenly comes along.
I just completed round two of upgrades on my Lenco. Round one was a new idler wheel, vibration damping of the pan, new sapphire bearing and PEEK bearing plate. Round two further upgraded the bearing to a longer/more precise housing and copper mat.
 
I just completed round two of upgrades on my Lenco. Round one was a new idler wheel, vibration damping of the pan, new sapphire bearing and PEEK bearing plate. Round two further upgraded the bearing to a longer/more precise housing and copper mat.

That were pretty much the upgrades I was planning , and a graphite top mat. Now I'll see what gives, I may need to revamp it for stereo as the design of the RCA is not great for stereo IMO.

I'll focus on the vintage beast and vintage mono first, then perhaps a more modern mono element at some point (had a great time meeting and listening to some stellar records with Hyun Lee of Tedeska last year) ... if feasible at perhaps adding an arm for stereo but that is the lowest priority.
 
Meanwhile, I revamped a Lenco L75 to get my feet wet with turntable fuzz...

Stock arm 'refurbished', bottom plate removed, motor serviced, main bearing serviced, V blocks replaced, element cleaned phono wires replaced and replaced the crappy DIN connector, adjusted the needle pressure, bobbledeboop and whatnot parameters of the arm, fine tuned RPM, man what a lot of parameters to mechanically adjust.
Note the high-end wooden finger lift !

Verdict: it sounds nice...but that is about it...I know it's not a fair comparison, basically a high end server to a mid fi turntable. Mono does better so I guess the (likely stock) pickering P/AT1 is not so great.
Currently on the mat; Then Bergh playing some Beethoven

20220211_180250.jpg
 
Congrats on getting your turntable running properly. It’s really hard to get a turntable to the level of a good music server. Your summation of the process sounds like what I would expect. Putting the time and money into a great turntable can be very rewarding and can sound incredible but it’s definitely a work of passion. I’ve decided I’m just too lazy to put the time into getting my turntables to that level and then having to get up to change the music afterwards.
 
I am not even close to what I'd dare call a good setup ;-) and with this cartridge much more may be impossible...getting close to my server in its current state, definitely not... (we compared it in an earlier state and consensus -in a heavily Vinyl biased group- was that it outperformed a pretty fancy turntable/arm/cartridge combo that is far beyond the L75)

All is just to get me familiar with everything for the 16" beast, that will be dedicated to Mono... what strikes me is that the sound is now fairly open, dynamics are passable but still everything is quite muddy especially when compared to digital.

Not sure yet if I'll add an arm for stereo on the RCA or just keep the L75 for the rest of the family to mess about...that may be safer, and it's just another step on a source selector switch.

It's fun tinkering though, now off for some Rigoletto by Callas :p
 
Tomorrow we'll be test flying a new concept for a passive RIAA circuit using only 2 tubes and minimal components. Every component counts so we're aiming for the jugular by using our fave stuff to gove it a fair run for its money.
 
We did not make enough progress to listen to the prototype, but it works. There is too much hum to listen to sound, the hum cancelling resistors did not arrive in time.

Exotica galore, western electric resistors, paper in oil caps courtesy of bell labs etc...

20220305_142135.jpg
 
While still waiting for some key components for that phono stage I'm currently trying out some new handmade bypass caps made with precious metals...totally ridiculous what it does with sound, given that the bypass is used on the 12V rail to the CPU in my server.
We hope to continue the phono project next weekend, lead times are a bummer....
 
Marcel, have you posted a schematic for that one?
Nope, we're still working on it, plus it will likely premiere at ETF first once it's ready (in case you refer to the phono stage) We will need to figure out quite a few equalisation curves, RIAA was only implemented universally well after the 60-ies. I already have more Vinyl using a DIN curve than RIAA.
 
The design is such that we will utilise things that usually are a negative aspect of components used (like parasitic capacitance) as a feature, ending up using minimal components, so there is only so much we can calculate in advance and most will need to be tweaked to customize for the actual components used.
 
After a bit of a pause as I'm playing with bypass caps on the CPU today I installed an ultra low noise dual linear PSU for the internet router and my audio network switch, long on the to do list and finally got around to cross that off.

Wall warts are what they are named after, warts....

I am waiting for the delivery of the correct power plug for the internet router but the linear PSU gives a nice improvement in SQ with just the switch being taken care of.

Shortly I'll be visiting High End 2022 in Munich to hear some reference gear.
 
It certainly sounds like it! It's the first time I could imagine being totally satisfied with a digital-only rig. Except for the music that's not on digital, that is.
I know what you mean, certain material is not available or only in poor quality (much rare stuff is digitized by the French national library but their catalogue seems to have suffered dearly over time), it's the main reason I'll add the RCA TT as especially mono recordings seem to be of too little interest for the Qobuz' of this world. (totally understandable)
 
It certainly sounds like it! It's the first time I could imagine being totally satisfied with a digital-only rig. Except for the music that's not on digital, that is.
Are you the same ACHiPo that has been on Audiocircle for many years? Just curious since I recognize the name.
 
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