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In the Forum: Analog Playback
In the Thread: The last phonocorrector: “End of Life" Phonostage
Post Subject: The last phonocorrector: “End of Life" PhonostagePosted by Romy the Cat on: 11/13/2007

Recently, I made a movement toward to a project that I have been contemplating for 5 years – I would like convert my Expressive Technologys SU2 and 2x834PT tandem into a final packaging solution.


For the last 5 years I have learned following:

1)     2 heavy phonostage boxes do not do well mechanically coupling via RCA jacks with heavy Expressive Technology transformer. They do well if they are not touched but if then moved frequently then the RCAs have tendency to lose ground and pick up some consequential noise.

2)     If I direct coupled the Expressive transformer with the 2x834PT’s input grid then I will lose the unnecessary RCA male-female and ~ 3 inch of wire. There is nothing that will make me more happy in analog then loosing unnecessary cable and unnecessary connectors in the secondly of 28dB gain transformer.

3)     I can make the entire new phonocorrector 2 times smaller – a good help for my always-challenged to of the rack’s real-estate.

4)     Since I do not have a good sounding solution for switching the .2mV signals of MC cartridges and all my attempts to do it had failed. Also, since I can’t imagine better performing phonostage I would like in a new phonocorrector to have a provision to switch the cables from my different tonearms. Currently I have difficulties to do.

5)     I would like to change the type of air capacitors that I use in the corrector 2x834PT, using larger  caps.

6)     I would like to change the diodes in the PS to new Silicon Carbide Schottkys.

So, the idea to take my existing two 834PT boxes, my separate 834PT power supply and my ET-2 transformer and arrange them in a separate accurate box with easy access to the RCA input s does look like very a reasonable project. It will not take a lot of efforts – a few hours no more.

I was thinking about the naming of my “new” phonostage. Considering the truly unparallel performance this corrector is capable and considering the fact that I know that I won’t be looking/thinking about another “reference” phonostages ever again I decided to name my new Expressive Technology SU2 + 2x834PT assembly as “End of Life Phonostage” . There is another dimension of Truth that is opens up to the people when they face the ends of their lifes. The “End of Life Phonostage” operates at the very same “other dimension” of listening awareness, presenting results form a perspective of completely different abstraction. You as a listener just need to be “ready” to understand it…

Rgs, Romy the Cat

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