I think Funk Firm makes very clever and smart looking turntables (and arms!). I really like the Saffire II, unfortunately I can't afford it at this moment. Ow, I see one for sale on Ebay now for GBP2500. Still can't afford it. :'(
I'm not going to post a picture of something that I don't own, that would pollute the thread. But it sure is a work of art.
Hopefully tonight I'm going to test the little Yaqin tube phono. I can post pictures (but again; wrong thread for that).
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@ brunk:
The Yaqin MS12b and 22b are not really similar (the MS22 is the first stage of the 12B) but I can give some pointers. I think the MS12B is a dreadfull oddball design that is an ergonomic FAIL. If you just use it as a phono-preamplifier instead of a preamp lose the volume potmeter and feed the input with a shielded wire directly into pin 2 or 7 of the first tube, earth and shielding on pin 5 (ground, or the closest accessible groundpoint or the wire that goes to the centre of the socket). And the output likewise after/on the output cap and try to find the nearest ground.
Change the caps in the signalpath (those blue blocks from Pilkor, 6 big ones and I guess 2 smaller ones next to the 12AX7 tubes) to some nice PiO's. The output need not be 600V. Not even close. Coupling caps are somewhat in the 200V area. Measure while starting up. Some Russian K40Y-9 will do fine. Or better Sprague, Westcap, Sangamo or the likes.
Here is the scheme for the MS12B. And, oh wonder :rolleyes: , it has the same stupid error as the 12B. The basic amplification for MM is done in the upper left with one 12AX7 (two halves) followed by a V-dumper transistor. After that point there is a split in the signal: one goes to the output [RIAA fed to the input switch and potmeter] via a big (=expensive) 1uF cap and the other to the RIAA correction feedback loop (all the way top of drawing left) via... another same big expensive 1uF cap. :rolleyes: If you take the signal for the loop
after the output cap the result is the same and you save one cap.
You can use the same point to feed directly into pin 2 of the 12AU7. After that one there is another 1uF cap.
The small blue cap next to the 12AX7 tubesocket is the coupling 103/AC275V (0.1uF) cap between the two tubehalves. Change this too.
Take out the junk cables with those little white plugs. All you get is corrosion in time and hum from using long PCB traces for ground. Use millspec shielded wire and pick groundpoints closest to the source.
Don't blow all your money on overprices Telefunken tubes. Those 3 caps do way more for your sound for way less money.
The scheme of the first part of the MS12B with the 12AX7 is exactly the same as the MS22B and all you need for MM. The rest is for extra amplification as pre-amp or for medium output MC's, but without the impedance correction.
That was another hour of my time. Hope you can use it.
I shouldn't be telling but selling...
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