High performance phono preamp by Rod Elliott (ESP)

I wanted to try this phono preamp circuit out. Let's see how it goes...

[@peterlarkin762]

There are many DIY heroes, but Rod Elliott really deserves an award for his commitment to no nonsense circuits, free knowledge, great design and advice. His website is a one stop shop for figuring out audio electrical engineering.

[@Xantophia]

Built it with an OPA4134 chip, and sounds kick-ass!!! It was a first goer, no need for tweaking or adjusting, sounds outstanding as it is. Thank You!!! :D ...and thanks for Rod Elliott!!! Keep up the good work.

[@grahamhall2662]

I built this amp many years ago using ne5534 and decent caps, it's the best sounding phono preamp I've ever heard. Using it right now to pass through and digitise some some of my favourite records.

[@boeing757pilot]

Elliot's website is absolutely the best site!

[@byrontaylor2378]

I also built this, but on the PCB provided by Elliott Sound Products, and using the correct components. I Also got excellent performance. Love it!

[@Yootjoob]

The cat is emitting a perfect sinus waveform and the pre-amp is picking it up LOL

[@stevedoubleu99B]

I agree with your opinion on Rod's site. I built this preamp myself and it sounds excellent. The single supply rail version lends itself very well to installation within a turntable.

[@jonathanwong880]

A very nice circuit. I built with good parts and powered by +15/-15 AA batteries. Sounds fantastic.

[@mihalym.6876]

I built this as well with opa2134, driven by a sony Ps22 turntable. The material cost was about 25 Euro for me. It is very forgiving to build, worked without any problem. Sound qualities can not be determined, this is the first preamp (and first turntable) I used. From price point of view it is a no brainer.

[@andymouse]

Fascinating !...cheers.

[@adamwolfram6126]

I built this using Rod's boards - a P06 and the P05A regulated power supply. I used OPA2134 opamps and Dale RN55D resistors. It may be the best phono preamp I've owned. It was definitely engaging to listen with. I lost it in a move and I miss it.

[@Elnufo]

Nice video. I do like vinyl a lot, and cats also :-) Snickers is so cute^^

[@JohnAudioTech]

Elnufo Vinyl is my main listening format (next to uncompressed digital). Snickers likes to take over the bench if he can find a clear spot. Sometimes he makes a clear spot by pushing stuff onto the floor!

[@gamerpaddy]

just made it aswell, sounds better than the preamp in my amplifier, i just put it in a metal box and printed some buzzwords and logos on it so the audiosnobs think its a expensive high end device btw you can also order pcbs from rod, then you get access to the backend with all the goodies you wont see on the project pages

[@KissAnalog]

Nice video a John! Very informative and explained well.

[@martinda7446]

The RIAA curve is not complex. As John said the standard moving magnet or moving coil is a 'velocity' device and its output is proportional the the speed of the 'wiggle' of the stylus. The record maker needs to save valuable space on the record and large movements in the bass need minimising, the HF is susceptible to noise and needs the opposite treatment to the bass for lowering noise.. and that is about it. The RIAA curve was arrived at with some painfull to and fro-ing where every record maker was using a different curve NARTB RIAA etc.. Standardised since 1954 when Long Play microgroove was fully introduced. (I think). If you want to cause brain meltdown, think of the cutter also being a velocity device, the ceramic cartridge having a flat response and speaker drive units which are motors and therefore velocity devices too..... (It all works out in the end)

[@frankalvarez7387]

coool i must make it :] thanks for sharing the video

[@vidanmitkovski7785]

Frank Alvarez od Makedonija si?

[@kevinbeckenham3872]

Love the record preamplifier; looks like an interesting project.

[@cspower7259]

Yeah great site. It's one I seem to keep going back to.

[@toadroller]

Look at those BA-100s in walnut. Wonderful speakers.

[@TheNiggiboy]

wow! execellent sound quality for just two opamps! also can u build more of rod elliott's circuits? i built the hifi amplifier from project 3A and it is excellent! but i don't have time to build a second module for stereo, maybe i should do that :D

[@JohnAudioTech]

TheNiggiboy I plan to bread board the P3A after I get my own design to work. I doubt my amp will be as good.

[@PeteVanDemark]

Sounds great-especially Zep!

[@34Kuro]

I had to screenshot Snickers beside the oscilloscope and use it as a wallpaper!

[@HillOrStream]

Great video!

[@marklowe7431]

Spot on.

[@pjd4268]

Like your vids..and yes I think for Snickers more than then anything...XP Hi Snicks...

[@luigiwhite5201]

My personal assistant is the same but full black

[@InsideOfMyOwnMind]

Not assistant. Supervisor.

[@markussteinbacher8807]

nice build. good work - which OPAMP NE5532 / OPA2134 / LM4562 did you use here ? btw radio interference , you can add a 100pf capacitor between Pin3 U1A and Groundpoint to get rid of it..

[@PeteVanDemark]

It could be Snickers' brain waves on the O-scope!

[@richardsinger01]

Pete VanDemark it’s the frequency of his purr.

[@iblesbosuok]

With all respect, in my experience NE5532 performs better than TL07X. Quality of C1, C2 and C3 give significant contribution. Btw, I miss Snickers. Cheers from Indonesia

[@avisen8897]

Ur cat is so cute...

[@airgead5391]

I am here only for the cat, I hope you don't mind

[@MuminovicGoran]

:)

[@iceberg789]

sometime i see cheap audio manufacturers are using lm324 for bass treble control. is that good thing to do ?

[@wd3574]

Some oscillation happening there at the end? I love Rod's site although I admit to not understanding all of it. He does have some nice articles targeted to beginners. I built/copied that same phono preamp circuit on a stripboard using LM833 op amps (also known to easily oscillate). I enclosed my project in a nice metal box an it sounds excellent. Maybe you can show that squeal on your oscilloscope?

[@JohnAudioTech]

Wade Prince It was only oscillating when I removed one of the batteries just to see what would happen. Doing so can cause an unpredictable effect with any amp. During normal operation, the amp is stable.

[@youngengineer6697]

Are you going to do any more solar projects?

[@janinapalmer8368]

I followed this until right at the end .... why on earth would you try removing one of those 9volt batteries ? And what made that squealing sound ?

[@1959Berre]

If I ever build a frequency generator I'd call it "Snickers"

[@melittarechberger]

Wrong numbers in Fig.1, Ne5532 contains 2 operational amplifiers!

[@Markoul11]

eXCELLENT vIDEO !! bRAVO!!

[@adammorris5253]

Great video, you said you would use better components for an actual build. Could you talk about component choice for audio circuits?

[@JohnAudioTech]

Adam Morris I would use one of the several audio quality op amps (low noise and distortion), metal film resistors (low noise) and film type capacitors.

[@djordjeblaga7815]

+Adam Morris Opamps: Choose one: www.cycfi.com/projects/six-pack/op-amp-shootout/ I used dual NE5532A's and they sound great!

[@nejja2524]

Do you know what value C3 has and where to connect it in the circuit?

[@AlejandroRodriguez-vg3vv]

Could you please tell me what datasheet did you use instead of the LME??

[@BogdanSerban]

Any idea where to add a volume control? I have an active system with no volume control (everything is on the max, I control the volume from the source - laptop, PC, tape) and I really it to control the turntable volume.

[@JohnAudioTech]

+Bogdan Serban You can add a volume control to the output of the phono preamp. 10K type should work fine.

[@BogdanSerban]

JohnAudioTech thanks, I was worried it would load the op-amp.

[@adamwolfram6126]

I tried using this preamp with batteries, and it was not as good as when I used a regulated supply with almost 10,000uF of capacitance. If you build this, don't build it with just batteries for the power supply - you won't get the full effect this excellent circuit can deliver.

[@039dalekmoore2007]

cats are cool

[@krishna34674]

lovely cat.

[@pemdestalok2173]

Does publishing a project need Rod Elliott's permission?

[@alexeykokh8240]

Hello. I am looking for a RIAA amplifier on a budget, it would be nice if it could be customized. Could somebody suggest me a device? Only transistor or opamps design. Thank you. Also I would be interested in collaboration on topics such as HQ audio devices (using Eagle or Altium designer as well).

[@johncoops6897]

Rather than wasting time asking, you could watch the video... and know the answer.

[@dealio82]

the turntable ground is connected to the negative supply of the Preamp?

[@JohnAudioTech]

+Benjamin Tan No, it is (or should be) connected to the common ground point in the circuit.

[@dealio82]

The "buss bar ground"?

[@TechTins_Projects]

Love your cat Snickers. How old is he?

[@JohnAudioTech]

EM & Basic Electronics Snickers turned 9 years a couple months ago.

[@TechTins_Projects]

JohnAudioTech He looks young. Great videos. These circuit ones are very enjoyable to watch.

[@PhuckHue2]

lmao cat

[@steveone]

Twenty five bucks US for a vinyl reissue !?

[@melittarechberger]

[@aspectcarl]

Excellent been meaning to build my diy preamp for a couple of weeks now, so I'll breadboard it like yours, I ordered the components for the RIAA preamp at recordingmag.com by jules ryckebusch

[@28noch]

@renato brant

[@bobskie321]

13:06 It costs twice as much as a CD.

[@djordjeblaga7815]

+bobskie321 But you get what you pay for ;)

[@WurstPeterl]

@@djordjeblaga7815 A bigger piece of plastic?

[@28noch]

@renatobrant