Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Step-Up Transformer Project

I had upgraded my cartridge on my Rega Planar3 by replace my cheap shure with a Grado wood body Platinum Reference. But even through a Project SE phono amp and a valve preamp the signal level was low. The Grado cartridge is a MM variety and I knew K & K Audio had a MC tranni kit. On an enquiry to them they provided me with a MM tranni kit. The Lundahl LL1550 amorphous trannies and cct. brds were configured for my cartridge and fitted in the wood box the cartridge came in.

Silver wire and WBT silver solder was used throughout. Sticky bitumen coated thick aluminium strip was used to shield the wood case and vinyl speaker dampening glued to the inner lid. The trannies were Velcroed to the inner lid and low profile felt feet added to the bottom. The sound is just as pure and now just a little louder. The trannies also provides some dampening back to the cartridge and the cartridge accurately loaded.