Electronics for Vinyl from Focal Press is the most comprehensive book ever produced on the electronic circuitry needed to extract the best possible signal from grooves in vinyl. What is called the vinyl revival is in full swing, and a clear and comprehensive account of the electronics you need is very timely. Vinyl reproduction presents some unique technical challenges; the signal levels from moving-magnet cartridges are low, and those from moving-coil cartridges lower still, so a good deal of high-quality low-noise amplification is required. Electronics for Vinyl brings the welcome news that there is simply no need to spend huge sums of money to get performance that is within a hair's breadth of the best theoretically obtainable. But you do need some specialised knowledge, and here it is.
- Integrating phono amplifiers into a complete preamplifier
- Differing phono amplifier technologies; covering active, passive, and semi-passive RIAA equalisation and transconductance RIAA stages
- The tricky business of getting really accurate RIAA equalisation without spending a fortune on expensive components, such as switched-gain MM/MC RIAA amplifiers that retain great accuracy at all gains, the effects of finite open-loop gain, cartridge-preamplifier interaction, and so on
- Noise and distortion in phono amplifiers, covering BJTs, FETs, and opamps as input devices, hybrid phono amplifiers, noise in balanced MM inputs, noise weighting, and cartridge load synthesis for ultimately low noise
- Archival and non-standard equalisation for 78s etc
- Building phono amplifiers with discrete transistors
- Subsonic filtering, covering all-pole filters, elliptical filters, and suppression of subsonics by low-frequency crossfeed, including the unique Devinyliser concept
- Ultrasonic and scratch filtering, including a variety of variable-slope scratch filters
- Line output technology, including zero-impedance outputs, on level indication for optimal setup, and on specialised power supplied
- Description of six practical projects which range from the simple to the highly sophisticated, but all give exceptional performance
Other Titles
Preface
Chapter 1: The Basics
Chapter 2: Passive Components
Chapter 3: Opamps and Their Properties
Chapter 4: Preamp Architecture
Chapter 5: Moving-Magnet Inputs: Phono Amp Architecture
Chapter 6: Signals from Vinyl: Levels and Limitations
Chapter 7: RIAA Equalisation
Chapter 8: Archival & Non-Standard Equalisation
Chapter 9: Moving-Magnet Inputs: Noise and Distortion
Chapter 10: Moving-Magnet Inputs: Discrete Circuitry
Chapter 11: Moving-Coil Head Amplifiers
Chapter 12: Subsonic Filtering
Chapter 13: Ultrasonic and Scratch Filtering
Chapter 14: Line Outputs
Chapter 15: Level Indication
Chapter 16: Power Supplies
Chapter 17: Moving-Magnet Inputs: Practical Designs
Appendix 1: Component Series E3-E96
Appendix 2: Phono Amplifier Articles in Linear Audio