Saturday, March 8, 2025
Wednesday, May 22, 2024
Shielded Finemet FM-MCT1 MC Step Up Transformers
Monday, April 8, 2024
Friday, October 6, 2023
JE Labs Choke-Capacitance Coupled SE2A3 amp
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Canon P + Canon 50mm f1.8 LTM Foma 100 in Rodinal |
Inspired by my plate choke-loaded 76 line stage preamp adventures, I was curious how a similar driver circuit configuration would sound in an SE2A3 amp. So I pulled out my Radiotron Designer's Handbook, 3rd Edition to gain a better understanding of choke-capacitance coupling (aka plate choke loading) vis-à-vis resistance coupling.
Below are highlights of relevant information I gathered.
Friday, July 21, 2023
Finemet FM-MCT1 MC Step Up Transformers
Looking back to my late 90s home brewer article for Sound Practices issue 17, I noticed that a good number of components in my hifi system then are still serving two and a half decades later. The Tamura TKS83 moving coil step up transformer is one of them.
Overall, my ears still prefer the smaller and more affordable brother, the Altec 4722!
In the ensuing days, I did further evaluation and indeed, these Finemet MC transformers are doing something extra special. My only reservation was, in spite of the potted construction, the FM-MCT1s are more susceptible to hum induction compared to the Altecs and Tamuras. Even if John lined the wooden box heavily with copper shielding, I still had to keep them away from power transformers, AC motors, etc.
Inspired by the sonic niceties I heard, I was undeterred so I contacted Mr. Kimura of General Transformer Sales Co. Ltd. After a few emails aided by Google translate, I finalized my order.
Gtrans.co.jp is headquartered in the same location as the former Noguchi store we visited in 2015, which is in the basement of Tokyo Radio Department Store in Akihabara.
Kimura-san specified a 3-4 week window for delivery. So I downloaded the spec sheet, studied the schematic and ordered a cast aluminum project box from Amazon.
Within 18 days, the transformers were at my doorstep.👏
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Finemet FM-MCT1 |
These are very well made and quite hefty! They're heavier than the TKS83s which, if memory serves me right, are about the same weight as the HM7s.
I chose a different layout for the 145mm x 121mm x 40 mm MC step up transformer chassis for neater routing of RCA cables.
Under the hood
The input and output RCA jacks are on the backside mounted on top of the chassis. Only the ground lug was mounted on the side.
No matter which cartridge I used - Denon DL103, -R, -C1, Fidelity Research FR1 MkII, Ortofon SPU #1s, -G, -GM, Supex SD900, etc. - male and female vocals + instruments are portrayed with 3-D presence and realism in a deep and wide sound space. The musicians are in my man cave!
Boosted by the Finemets, even the most analytical and dry-sounding MC cartridges in my stash, like the Goldbug Clement II and Sony XL44 came to life with more warmth. If that's a coloration, it's certainly most welcome!
Ever since I became an audio DIYer, I pride myself in not being impulsive about upgrading components in my hifi. This is a rare exception!😉
CODA
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Stereo Sound Tube Kingdom Volume 104 |
If I got it right, in this survey of commercially available MC step up transformers, the Finemet FM-MCT1 was the only DIY unit.
Click here for the shielded version update!
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Noguchi Transformer Co. Ltd, Closing
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MJ 11-1994 |
Back in the 90s they ran 2-page ads for Tamura, Tango and their in-house manufactured transformers.
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Noguchi + Tamura |
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"mid-price" Finemet OPT ad in MJ 12/2015 |
Sayonara!
!!UPDATE!!
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
JE Labs Simple 46
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46 tube base diagram |
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chassis is punched out and ready for painting |
It's been over 20 years since the Simple 45/2A3 was uploaded to the now defunct DIY section of the old Angela Instruments website. So I wanted to reprise that old-school topology with a twist. I considered retaining the octal base and using a grid capped 6F5 or a UX6 based + grid capped type 75, as a tribute to Asano-san. 🙏
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under the hood |
!!!WARNING!!!
The voltages found in this circuit can be lethal! Build at your own risk!!!
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JEL Simple 46 schematic |
CODA
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Left to Right - Globe 46, ST 46, ST 45 and 2A3 |
Addendum
Friday, July 28, 2017
Noguchi Finemet: FM-3WS-H + FM-6WS output transformers
This was the last extensive testing and listening session I did in the attic before we moved back to the states. I misplaced some data and just recovered them recently. So as promised in a previous blog entry, here's the write-up on the two entry-level SE Finemet OPTs from Noguchi.
WARNING
These are bonsai-sized output transformers. If HUGE iron + HIGH inductance and thumping bass frequencies is your idea of high-fidelity you should STOP 🛑 here!😉Noguchi FM-3WS-H
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Noguchi FM-3WS-H + Tamura F7004 |
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JPY 13,910 or US $124 |
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Noguchi FM-3WS-H 100Hz (top left), 1kHz (top right) and 10kHz (bottom right) |
Noguchi FM-6WS
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Noguchi FM-6WS + Tango U808 |
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JPY 16,000 or US $142 |
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Noguchi FM-6WS 100Hz (top left), 1kHz (top right) and 10kHz (bottom right) |
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Color Chart in Kanji for wiring transformer leads |
Subjective evaluation of both OPTs
Back in the 90s, there were two types of exotic transformer core material vying for the best - Permalloy and Amorphous. I learned then that the virtue of exotic core material shone through the mid-range, rather than at the frequency extremes. I never quite made the leap to Amorphous because I was already satisfied with the life-like mid-range abilities of Permalloy. I heard the Amorphous Tamura F5002 in a familiar circuit and system context, and thought that in spite of its edge in resolving detail, it sounded clinical compared to Permalloy. Finemet is supposed to have evolved from Amorphous. However, the mid-range performance from these two entry-level Noguchi Finemet OPTs have the warmth and lucidity of Permalloy without the antiseptic quality of Amorphous.
If I didn't already have Tamura and Tango Permalloy OPTs the bigger Finemet offerings from Noguchi are very tempting!
!!UPDATE!!
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Budget SE OPTs - Edcor and Noguchi
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Edcor GXSE15-16-3.5K Weight = 2.75 lbs |
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Colors in Kanji |
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Noguchi PMF10WS Weight = 3.2 lbs |
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Price = JPY 9,070 Approx. US$80 |
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Noguchi PMF15WS Weight = 3.2 lbs |
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Price = JPY12,560 Approx. US$112 |
I'm not sure if Noguchi accepts international orders. But if you're visiting Tokyo, their basement shop (closed Mondays) at Tokyo Radio Department Store is a must see!