When I first wrote about Pure Vinyl in the March 2009 "Analog Corner," Robinson recommended…
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The minuscule electrical output of an analog signal from a moving-coil cartridge needs to be boosted before it can be converted to digital and equalized in the digital domain. Of course, you could use your current phono preamplifier and record an equalized signal to hard disk, but then you wouldn't get to experience Pure Vinyl's digital RIAA correction—nor would you be able to avail yourself of all the equalization curves provide by Pure Vinyl, of which there are almost too many to count.
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid-state phono preamplifier with flat and RIAA-equalized inputs. Inputs: XLR (balanced); RCA (balanced; functions as single-ended/balanced adapter). Outputs: XLR (balanced), RCA (single-ended). RIAA compensation curve (with Hardware RIAA Correction Module) accuracy: ±0.1dB.Voltage gain (add 12dB for Hardware RIAA Option): 43, 46, 48, 52dB. Frequency response: DC–5MHz, –3dB at all gain settings. Maximum input resistance: 2k ohms; rear-panel rotary switches for selecting 25, 50, 100, 150, 200, 500, 1k ohms; custom-value plug-in resistors can also be…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Continuum Audio Labs Caliburn, Cobra, Castellon turntable, tonearm, stand; Graham Phantom II tonearm; Ortofon A90, ZYX R1000 Sigma 2 cartridges.
Digital Sources: Playback Designs MPS-5 SACD/CD player, Camelot Roundtable Anagram Technologies DAC, BPT-modified Alesis Masterlink hard-disk recorder, Sooloos music server, Macintosh G5 computer with Lynx L22 soundcard.
Preamplification: Abbingdon Music Research PH-77, Boulder Amplifiers 1008 & 2008, Vitus Audio MP-P201 phono preamplifiers; darTZeel NHB-18ns preamplifier.
Power…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I measured the Seta Model L with Stereophile's loan sample of the Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It" and www.ap.com). I experimented with the grounding between the preamp and the analyzers to get the lowest level of noise. To fully charge the Model L's batteries, I left it plugged into the wall overnight. It ran off battery power for the measurements.
All the Model L preamplifier's inputs and outputs preserved absolute polarity; ie, were non-inverting. However, there was a problem with the right channel's Flat output. While…
The minuscule electrical output of an analog signal from a moving-coil cartridge needs to be boosted before it can be converted to digital and equalized in the digital domain. Of course, you could use your current phono preamplifier and record an equalized signal to hard disk, but then you wouldn't get to experience Pure Vinyl's digital RIAA correction—nor would you be able to avail yourself of all the equalization curves provide by Pure Vinyl, of which there are almost too many to count.
When I first wrote about Pure Vinyl in the March 2009 "Analog Corner," Robinson recommended…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid-state phono preamplifier with flat and RIAA-equalized inputs. Inputs: XLR (balanced); RCA (functions as single-ended/balanced adapter). Outputs: Flat signal, XLR (balanced); RIAA Corrected (switchable to Flat) on single-ended RCAs. RIAA compensation curve accuracy: ±0.1dB, 20Hz–20kHz. RIAA compensation curve channel match: ±0.02dB, 20Hz–20kHz. Switchable RIAA high-pass filter: 10Hz, 12dB/octave, –0.3dB at 20Hz. Voltage Gain: 47dB (flat output): 60dB (RIAA). Frequency Response: DC–8MHz, –3dB (Flat Outputs, Balanced Input, with MC Cartridge…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Continuum Audio Labs Caliburn, Cobra, Castellon turntable, tonearm, stand; Graham Phantom II tonearm; Ortofon A90, ZYX R1000 Sigma 2 cartridges.
Digital Sources: Playback Designs MPS-5 SACD/CD player, Camelot Roundtable Anagram Technologies DAC, BPT-modified Alesis Masterlink hard-disk recorder, Sooloos music server, Macintosh G5 computer with Lynx L22 soundcard.
Preamplification: Abbingdon Music Research PH-77, Boulder Amplifiers 1008 & 2008, Vitus Audio MP-P201 phono preamplifiers; darTZeel NHB-18ns preamplifier.
Power…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I measured the Seta Nano phono preamplifier with Stereophile's loan sample of the Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It" and www.ap.com). I experimented with the grounding between the preamp and the analyzers to get the lowest level of noise.
Housed in an enclosure the size and proportions of an Apple Mac mini computer, the Nano crowds together pairs of balanced and unbalanced inputs and outputs on its rear panel, as well as rotary switches for adjusting the resistive loading of each channel, a ground terminal, and a trimmer to…
As long as you're spinning an LP for your listening pleasure, and if digitizing it at a resolution of 24-bit/192kHz is transparent to the analog source, why not record and store the LP on your computer at that high sampling rate for future convenient playback via iTunes or for iPod use, or for burning to CD-R? And, while you're at it, why not record the LP unequalized and apply the RIAA curve in the digital domain, where you're not dependent on capacitors and resistors that are imprecise to begin with, and can drift over time? With no drift of phase or value, the virtual filter's results…
Before you do anything, go into Pure Vinyl's Preferences, where you'll be presented with the first set of maddening choices, some of them incomprehensible to all but the most technically informed. Most important is "Apply vinyl correction curve." The recording itself will be "flat." In other words, the input is to be recorded unaltered, whether with or without EQ. You are selecting the output for both monitoring and playback. Here you can choose from among 66 different curves, for both 78rpm and LP playback.
If you record an equalized signal from your standard phono preamp, be…