SINGularity
Posted: 2018-12-22 03:05
OK, so the cat's out of the bag after Thomas O'Keefe's clips in the playground thread.
Early next year, I will release my first MC stage. The project started in 2011, when I tested an idea I had of an extremely sensitive linear input stage - the first circuit that the signal from the MC cartridge meets and therefore the most crucial part for the overall quality of any phono pre amplifier. And for vinyl listeners, the second most important part of the HiFi system after the turntable itself.
I didn't have the necessary skills and knowledge back then to complete the original design, which was put on the shelf in 2012, after many failed attempts at filtering out faint radio signals that could sneak in through the tonearm leads. I did various attempts in the next couple of years, but the very high gain input stage lost its musical magic whenever I got it completely quiet.
In 2016, I had learned some new tricks and felt certain I could tame the beast. The first public demonstration of a Slipsik-sized MC unit with the super high gain input stage was played at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in 2017, where it raised quite a few eyebrows and was frequently and favorably compared to a well established LP12-specific MC stage.
I had already made other plans, however. In the lab back in Uppsala were several machined-from-solid pure copper cases being tested. Machining copper blocks is a pain - one needs to do it very slowly because the copper acts like a chewing gum when it's being cut, breaking the tool if it moves too fast, and this makes it very expensive. The copper also needs to be of the highest possible purity, which required some research and the vital assistance of a friendly metal distributor. I also found a skilled partner who didn't consider me crazy and was willing to manufacture the prototypes. We made thin walls, thick walls, ridges and crosses and braces in various positions - all of which sounded considerably different. We also did the case in few big parts and many small, screwed together with torques being optimized by listening. It turned out that the optimal solution is to cut the entire bottom out of one piece and then add only front panel, back panel and lid. And the parts need to be tensioned against one another so that the finished case rings like a bell in a single true tone. Then when you add the main board, two power supplies and place it on its feet, it should ring with a sweet and slightly damped tone.
While I was working on the cases - did I mention they became two, in Mono, as this was superior to having both channels in the same box? - my intern Måns was measuring and selecting every electrical component in the circuit and arranging them in labeled bags. For many months! I then listen to every combination of these selected variations to find the most musical combination. On a few components, we were lucky to find that the main value, of which there were plenty, was optimal. On others it turned out that fringe values were the best. The most extreme case is where he only found 12 specimen out of 1000 measured. Luckily only one is needed for each main board, so we have enough to make six pairs of SINGularity out of those 1000. The second most extreme was 24 out of 1000, again luckily only one per main board. Etcetera.
When my first pair was completed and tested - I had a lot of fun going through my record collection at home, finding in particular those records where I thought only one song was really good to be impossible not to listen all the way through to the end - I had only the exterior finish of a rather brutal looking pair of half width (standing side by side with 1 cm in between they are as wide and high as one Sagatun or Tundra) copper boxes to take care of. After trying various finishes made by two different companies, I found a man who could blast the pieces with the finest glass particles until they get a matte, satin copper finish. They look absolutely stunning, like nothing I have seen before, in this finish. Being copper, they will slowly darken with age and need to be handled with supplied cotton gloves at all times. It's possible to polish them and I ordered and tested every copper polish product I was able to find. The best one is supplied, but my advice is not to use it unless absolutely necessary - it's quite a procedure.
I sent Thomas my first pair for evaluation and they have just returned to the lab. His raving texts have convinced me they're ready for release. SINGularity is made to order only and it might take a while as they are a challenge to build - it takes weeks just to complete the boards. The electronics are hand soldered by me, with temperatures optimized for each component. The input stage is tuned for the final working temperature inside the closed case, which is reached a couple of hours after switch on. Cartridge load can be fine tuned to almost any value with the help of a qualified retailer - after the optimal values are found by ear using switches, the chosen components are moved and soldered at the input. For some cartridges we have already established the optimal load, so tuning by ear then becomes unnecessary.
SINGularity will cost approximately SEK 180 000, USD 20 000, EUR 18 000, GBP 16 000 per channel. You need two for stereo.
Despite the length of this post, I've probably forgotten to mention a fair number of details. But I will of course be happy to answer any questions you might have.
Early next year, I will release my first MC stage. The project started in 2011, when I tested an idea I had of an extremely sensitive linear input stage - the first circuit that the signal from the MC cartridge meets and therefore the most crucial part for the overall quality of any phono pre amplifier. And for vinyl listeners, the second most important part of the HiFi system after the turntable itself.
I didn't have the necessary skills and knowledge back then to complete the original design, which was put on the shelf in 2012, after many failed attempts at filtering out faint radio signals that could sneak in through the tonearm leads. I did various attempts in the next couple of years, but the very high gain input stage lost its musical magic whenever I got it completely quiet.
In 2016, I had learned some new tricks and felt certain I could tame the beast. The first public demonstration of a Slipsik-sized MC unit with the super high gain input stage was played at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in 2017, where it raised quite a few eyebrows and was frequently and favorably compared to a well established LP12-specific MC stage.
I had already made other plans, however. In the lab back in Uppsala were several machined-from-solid pure copper cases being tested. Machining copper blocks is a pain - one needs to do it very slowly because the copper acts like a chewing gum when it's being cut, breaking the tool if it moves too fast, and this makes it very expensive. The copper also needs to be of the highest possible purity, which required some research and the vital assistance of a friendly metal distributor. I also found a skilled partner who didn't consider me crazy and was willing to manufacture the prototypes. We made thin walls, thick walls, ridges and crosses and braces in various positions - all of which sounded considerably different. We also did the case in few big parts and many small, screwed together with torques being optimized by listening. It turned out that the optimal solution is to cut the entire bottom out of one piece and then add only front panel, back panel and lid. And the parts need to be tensioned against one another so that the finished case rings like a bell in a single true tone. Then when you add the main board, two power supplies and place it on its feet, it should ring with a sweet and slightly damped tone.
While I was working on the cases - did I mention they became two, in Mono, as this was superior to having both channels in the same box? - my intern Måns was measuring and selecting every electrical component in the circuit and arranging them in labeled bags. For many months! I then listen to every combination of these selected variations to find the most musical combination. On a few components, we were lucky to find that the main value, of which there were plenty, was optimal. On others it turned out that fringe values were the best. The most extreme case is where he only found 12 specimen out of 1000 measured. Luckily only one is needed for each main board, so we have enough to make six pairs of SINGularity out of those 1000. The second most extreme was 24 out of 1000, again luckily only one per main board. Etcetera.
When my first pair was completed and tested - I had a lot of fun going through my record collection at home, finding in particular those records where I thought only one song was really good to be impossible not to listen all the way through to the end - I had only the exterior finish of a rather brutal looking pair of half width (standing side by side with 1 cm in between they are as wide and high as one Sagatun or Tundra) copper boxes to take care of. After trying various finishes made by two different companies, I found a man who could blast the pieces with the finest glass particles until they get a matte, satin copper finish. They look absolutely stunning, like nothing I have seen before, in this finish. Being copper, they will slowly darken with age and need to be handled with supplied cotton gloves at all times. It's possible to polish them and I ordered and tested every copper polish product I was able to find. The best one is supplied, but my advice is not to use it unless absolutely necessary - it's quite a procedure.
I sent Thomas my first pair for evaluation and they have just returned to the lab. His raving texts have convinced me they're ready for release. SINGularity is made to order only and it might take a while as they are a challenge to build - it takes weeks just to complete the boards. The electronics are hand soldered by me, with temperatures optimized for each component. The input stage is tuned for the final working temperature inside the closed case, which is reached a couple of hours after switch on. Cartridge load can be fine tuned to almost any value with the help of a qualified retailer - after the optimal values are found by ear using switches, the chosen components are moved and soldered at the input. For some cartridges we have already established the optimal load, so tuning by ear then becomes unnecessary.
SINGularity will cost approximately SEK 180 000, USD 20 000, EUR 18 000, GBP 16 000 per channel. You need two for stereo.
Despite the length of this post, I've probably forgotten to mention a fair number of details. But I will of course be happy to answer any questions you might have.