New MM phono stage

Post by **lejonklou** » 2013-09-29 23:04

Coming in October.

Watch this space!

mrco99 · Post by **mrco99** » 2013-09-30 09:56

Hi Fredrik,

Congratulations, that is great news!
Encouraging to hear analogue is still alive and kikkin.
Will it replace Slipsik or Kinki?

Hmm, and maybe something to add to your upcoming multi-input preamp...

;-)

Cheers,

Marco

Music Lover · Post by **Music Lover** » 2013-09-30 10:32

Exciting news!
Good Luck.

PS
Stand alone please ;)
So the focus is performance, both on the pre and phono stage.

Post by **lejonklou** » 2013-10-02 08:39

mrco99 wrote:Congratulations, that is great news!
Encouraging to hear analogue is still alive and kikkin.

Thanks! It sure is.

mrco99 wrote:Will it replace Slipsik or Kinki?

It will replace Kinki.

mrco99 wrote:Hmm, and maybe something to add to your upcoming multi-input preamp...

So far the only features on the analogue preamp are input switching and volume. I am now perfecting the performance of these two.When I'm done, I will try adding features. They will be included only if they are completely transparent to the musical performance of the main functions.

Post by **lejonklou** » 2013-10-02 08:50

Music Lover wrote:Exciting news!
Good Luck.

Thank you!

Music Lover wrote:Stand alone please ;)
So the focus is performance, both on the pre and phono stage.

New phono stage is stand alone.

Focus is 100% on performance! All I promise regarding the preamp is that it will have multiple inputs and that musical performance will be extraordinary.

Music Lover · Post by **Music Lover** » 2013-10-02 09:30

lejonklou wrote: Focus is 100% on performance! All I promise regarding the preamp is that it will have multiple inputs and that musical performance will be extraordinary.

Spot on, thanks!

If it was just me, one input will do perfectly thank you if that would enable better performance (with me manually connecting different sources), but realize that probably is a step too far for most customers.

Performance > Features

Almost forgot...in black please :)

mrco99 · Post by **mrco99** » 2013-10-02 11:17

lejonklou wrote:
mrco99 wrote:Congratulations, that is great news!
Encouraging to hear analogue is still alive and kikkin.
Thanks! It sure is.

mrco99 wrote:Will it replace Slipsik or Kinki?
It will replace Kinki.

mrco99 wrote:Hmm, and maybe something to add to your upcoming multi-input preamp...
So far the only features on the analogue preamp are input switching and volume. I am now perfecting the performance of these two.When I'm done, I will try adding features. They will be included only if they are completely transparent to the musical performance of the main functions.

Hi Fredrik,

Thanks for your reply, frankly I would not expect you to add features and convenience at the cost of performance.

Have you also been thinking about a headphone amp?
You probably don´t regard this as a feature, so I might get off-topic here ;-)

I know that you also have an interest in listening to headphones.
The casing you currently use for Slipsik/Kinki/Kikkin seems a perfect enclosure for a standalone unit...

Best regards,

Marco

Music Lover · Post by **Music Lover** » 2013-10-02 11:47

mrco99 wrote: Have you also been thinking about a headphone amp?

Yeah!
One of the few products I really miss from Linn.
So I can play seriously loud in the middle of night.
Even in my sound isolated room, over vol35 the bass disturbing the family.

Post by **lejonklou** » 2013-10-02 12:55

Music Lover wrote:
mrco99 wrote: Have you also been thinking about a headphone amp?
Yeah!

Thanks for asking!

Yes, I have a design halfway finished which is really good and can probably be a bit better still with some tweaking. It can fit into a small case, but performance becomes even better in the big case with switch mode power supplies.

A headphone output is one of the features that will be evaluated in the preamp. If the two (preamp and headphone amp) can be combined without degrading performance, I will do it. But I don't expect that to be easy..

mrco99 · Post by **mrco99** » 2013-10-02 14:14

lejonklou wrote: Thanks for asking!

Yes, I have a design halfway finished which is really good and can probably be a bit better still with some tweaking. It can fit into a small case, but performance becomes even better in the big case with switch mode power supplies.

Hi Fredrik,

That sounds really promising.
I listen a lot to headphones as well in the quiet evenings, and my wife wishes that I keep it quiet - so actually I should use closed cans only.
Right now I have a dedicated Creek OBH-21 headphone amp.
The headphone stage in the current Akurate Kontrol is a rather nice one too, though it does need extensive running-in.

lejonklou wrote: A headphone output is one of the features that will be evaluated in the preamp. If the two (preamp and headphone amp) can be combined without degrading performance, I will do it. But I don't expect that to be easy..

Hmm, somehow I have a feeling that you will not take the easy road, so that headphone output may just end up in your preamp after all.

;-)

rowlandhills · Post by **rowlandhills** » 2013-10-03 01:08

According to Facebook, the new phono stage is called GAIO.

Daniel · Post by **Daniel** » 2013-10-03 08:52

lejonklou wrote:
Focus is 100% on performance! All I promise regarding the preamp is that it will have multiple inputs and that musical performance will be extraordinary.

Also exciting news.

SaltyDog · Post by **SaltyDog** » 2013-10-03 23:39

Any chance it will fit inside an LP12? Like the Urika.

Post by **lejonklou** » 2013-10-04 07:31

SaltyDog wrote:Any chance it will fit inside an LP12? Like the Urika.

You mean like Naim Prefix? They did that long before Linn.

No, GAIO is a standalone box. It suits many turntables and cartridges, not just LP12 and Adikt. And it's easy to install and compare with other phono stages, unlike those you hide inside the turntable.

NOTE: This topic is continued in 'Lejonklou Gaio'