The quest for sonic perfection, a journey I've been on for years, feels like a relentless pursuit of the Holy Grail in audio. Each discovery, each tweak, is like peeling back another layer of the onion, revealing more of the essence of music. Let me share with you one of my recent adventures in this quest.
During my explorations, I ventured into the realm of designing and building phono stages. It's a meticulous process, much like a watchmaker delicately assembling the gears of a timepiece. My reference, which I fondly call the "Oceanic Phono," is a testament to this journey. It's an interstage transformer coupled, valve rectified, 2-stage phono preamp, employing the venerable C3g tubes. And here's the twist – there are no capacitors in the signal path, except for those tiny silver mica ones in the RIAA RC filter. This approach, much like a painter using a limited palette to create a masterpiece, has yielded a sound that's velvety smooth, detailed, and ultra-low noise. With about 60dB of amplification, it's perfect for an MM cartridge, or, in my case, a delightful pairing with MC cartridges and exquisite silver-wound step-up transformers.
But, as in any journey, curiosity beckons me to new horizons. My gaze now turns to LCR phono stages, particularly a circuit published by the masterful Nobu Shishido in the mid-1990s in Sound Practices DIY magazine. Shishido's choices are intriguing, almost like a chef using an unexpected ingredient. He opted for two overly large 47uF capacitors in the signal path for each channel. It's an unorthodox move, considering the usual capacitor choices in such applications, limiting the qualities one can explore. Shishido used the now-unobtainable BlackGates, which, despite their exotic allure, are still electrolytics. They face stiff competition from MKPs and PiOs in the capacitor world.
But let's not forget, Nobu Shishido is no fool. His 300b interstage coupled "Yamamoto" amplifier is the stuff of legends, a creation that sings melodies of its own. His decision to walk this path must have been driven by a deep intention, much like a novelist choosing a peculiar narrative style to tell a compelling story.
So here we are, contemplating the Nobu Shishido LCR phono, juxtaposed against my Oceanic phono. It's like comparing two distinguished poets, each with their unique voice and style, yet both enchanting in their way. The journey continues, and with each step, I delve deeper into the heart of music, uncovering its secrets, one component at a time.
