HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

Informative write up, Steve. Sounds like a fun and rewarding day...

So everything after the NVA Phono2 was DIY ?

Addendum Re the Decware Zen Triode Phono:

From the decware site about the config of that phono:

... "Thanks go out to J. Epstein who's original circuit inspired my early prototypes, and to J. Haggerman who was kind enough to offer his Cornet circuit boards at one point along the way and let us modify them for use in a ZP3. Even though that didn't end up happening, it was much appreciated. (While the sound and implementation of these three circuits is very different, the Epstein, ZP3 and Cornet are using almost the same split passive RIAA scheme).

The Decware uses split passive rather than the all on one go eq of the 1950s RCA phono stage, so it's nothing like it.

Apologies to Steve Deckert.

Dr Bunsen Honeydew wrote: ↑Sun Jun 03, 2018 5:28 pm So everything after the NVA Phono2 was DIY ?

The Decware phono stage is a proper manufactured product from the USA. Steve Deckert of Decware sells direct to the user as you do with NVA. http://www.decware.com/newsite/homepage.html

The Cole LCR stage was I believe a kit supplied by Hong Kong firm DIYHIFISupply.

The one at DIYHIFISupply looks nothing like this one you had. Is it just their kit or did he do other mods.

After import duty and shipping the Decware would be twice the price of a Phono2.

BTW this is not a moan or criticism in anyway I am just trying to get my head round what was there. Nicks baby was bound to be good because he knows what he is doing, where as very few others seem to.

I think Nigel got the cole as a built unit from diy hifisupply not as a kit, a straight build, not a modded unit. The cole got discontinued a while back, its maybe 6/7 years old I think

Nigel has had the Cole Phono stage for about seven years.
Diyhifi supply don't do it anymore. It was however, a high end product in its time.

I would be interested to know what was in it. Perhaps someone should reverse engineer it if it is that good.

AFAIK, The Cole has gone through many incarnations so without knowing what in it it could be many things. They are all variations of Thorston's original LCR circuit using the S&B 600R LCR module, then the Silk version of the RIAA I think. I built a very early version (before HIFI Supply made kits) based on the S&B unit and two E810F's per channel. Mad pentodes. It was what started my LCR addiction.

The circuit is still there on the diyhifisupply site, along with the b.o.m, would need to source the s&b lcr modules for them first is think, the rest of the b.o.m looks to be pretty standard stuff