Bigbottle Hybrid MC Phonostage PCB

Nov 2015 is when I joined AoS and that was the very first Audio Forum I'd joined. I had NO knowledge of anything then and was just trying to find out why my Inspire Quest turntable wouldn't stop buzzing lol

But let's be 100% clear, "i" don't do any designing lol.

The circuit is all Alan's work. The only thing I contributed to the board was the idea of making a PCB for DIYers and specific bits like Split EQ, No Negative feedback in the circuit, ECC83 for the gain and PCC88's for the low millar capacitance and putting the Psu on the same pcb as the signal circuit.

I mean, I tested and compared easily over 10 phonostages, 7 SUTs, 6 headamps, created the BOM which isn't easy, Constructed multiple test versions, sold the original PCBs (30+), recruited beta testers, got the PCBs made, got JPS involved originally to design the first PCB, Recruited Andy to do the revised board, which has taken us further than before with a much more considered layout.

Plus loads and loads of hours on the phone talking to people who have needed help, direction to parts etc.

I may not have all the electronics knowledge but project managing does seem to be in my wheel house lol.

I'm really proud of this phonostage because of all the work that's gone into it and I think it sounds great.

The cables have slowed down massively now. I've fished the pond to the point where there's little left to catch. I need to either branch out or just leave them be. No decision on that yet.

Im proud of those too because of the amount of god damn cables I tried and tested before I managed to concoct this combination. Speaker cables too, I got lucky with those.

The system has moved at speed as well. I've tried to listen to as much as I can, whether I have had to travel or buy blind, I just tried to get an education and while to some I look like a sporadic, impulsive lunatic, there has always been a direction I have been going in.

Whether I carried on in that direction is an entirely different matter lol.

Anyway, thanks. The board looks great even though its only a prototype and hopefully the finished unit will sound as good as my one and only finished unit I'm currently using.

That's a great idea, I love it.

I'm going to have to see if that's possible now lol

Great looking Kit BTW. I really appreciate what Kevin at Valab is doing. His LCR phonostage is very good, even if it does have a bit of a spikey frequency response!

D klimo kit has reported high noise due to high gain of 70db.

Shame that, I thought it looked like a future project. Good prices on it via ebay too.

I'm liking the idea of mono construction, I'm going to delve into that a bit.

Relays arrived today. Tiny little solder pads for these so took a bit of care and all went well.

Thoughts are now drifting to a DIY SUT so I can test the MM side of this board.

Thinking some cinemag transformers in a tidy little project box.

Just waiting on the last few pieces for this board and testing will begin.

Black'll match his new amp.

Haha, no mate, the BigBottle phonostage is in silver casework.

So is the new amp Antonio lol

I should also add that it'll be exactly the same finish as the one i have just built. I love the look of it and think it looks far more expensive than it is lol

Another useful and interesting post Vlad.