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JKT

Just got Kevin's new turntable power supply kit up and running and I have to say up front that if you have a Nott. tt or any other that uses a 115V AC motor and are not using a tt ps like this you are NOT getting the full potential out of it. What does it do? Think of it as a stereo power supply. An AC motor with two field coils needs the current supplied to one coil to be 90 degrees out of phase with the other. This is usually done with a capacitor connected in series with it. With this power supply, each field coil has its own power supply, with one shifted the needed 90 degrees. Unlike the capacitor, this arrangement allows for trimming the phase angle with a knob on the front panel so that optimum operation of the motor (think smooth) is possible. Even more important for the sonics is the level control which allows the output voltage to be adjusted. When the motor runs, it inputs energy to the spinning platter in pulses. This results in a small amount of frequency modulation. Frequency modulation can be seen as a form of analog jitter. As with digital jitter a little goes a long way. By reducing the output voltage to the point where the energy input from the motor balances the mechanical losses in the system (with my tt this was 60Vrms @33 1/3 and 110Vrms @45rpm), one can reap the rewards of a much more transparent sound stage. How much? I recently rebuilt my line stage (see post). This included replacing the Alps pot with a custom stepped attenuator and PS improvements. I got a nice jump in resolution and transparency from these changes. This new tt ps brought as big of change or greater than that. This is not one of those changes that you have to strain to hear. This is more of the 'holy shit' variety. I had an audiophile buddy over to listen the other night and he was pretty blown over by how much of a difference this makes. In trying to explain the changes, one can expect cleaner transients, a more organic overall sound, a more 3D sound stage and better separation of voices. When a vocalist adds overdubs each is heard clearly. Massed strings sound like individual instruments playing together. I'm really having a lot of fun playing all my favorite records and hearing new things. This new kit is great. If your tt has an AC motor you need to buy one.

K&K Audio / Lundahl Transformers

K&K Audio / Lundahl Transformers

The Eagle has landed, new tt ps kit has finally arrived!

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