Walter G. Jung Forest Hill, ML Presented at the 67th Convention 1980 Oct.31/Nov.3 a New York AN AUDIO ENGINEERING SOCIETY PREPRINT‘TOPOLOGY CONSIDERATIONS FOR RIAA PHONO PROAOLIFTERS Wanter , Jung “ndependent Consultant Forest Hill, ML ore In aldition to the basic process of asplification and frequency response noraaliant= tony RIAA phono preasplifiers aust be optimised for perforsance with regard to notes, Linearity, power, and device econcay. This paper considers the basic ‘ctterences between the topology tradeotts. spermopucrton One of the nost heavily discussed ares of audio cireuttry 48 the RIAA phono yention hse been focused upon ity yet a standpoints, and ench has gone salient featuress FEEDBACK BUALIZED FHOW STAGES ‘Te popular mettod to sccouplish TIAA equalization joy frequency dependent feedbacie around a igh quality a By colection of ax appropriate RC network to provide the 3 tine constants of 3160, 318 and us (3 ‘the teak can be efficiently accomplished. Figure one ie an example of such a phon reuse uatng @ iy gain etabley wideband saplifier for Al, R1-B2W01-02 form the RIAA network providing an ection with standard component values. These conponents should be site? equalization accuracy, propertios. High quality metal fla polystyrene oF polypropylene are recomended, 1on factors, and lov dielectric type to be avoided are the Ihigh K ceranie fanilioe, However, it 1s also vorth noting that low K ceranice lavch ae MED types have Atesipation £4 and although their DA night not be as low as the best fins, thay say be worth consideration for anil values and/or voere epace 1s 4 premium. Obviously the quality of equalimation/ anplificgtion can be no better than the components used to deternine the transfer function (even 4f the amplifier vere perfect). These come to all etreuits to foltow, In torss of the desired asplifier paranetere for optima performance in this cetreutt, they are considerably demanding, For lovest noise fro the eartridge's Anductive source the agplifier should have a voltage noise density of Sa¥//¥R or less, and a current noise deasity of 1 piW/g or less. The form: 2Yast net ty Dipolar input amplifiers while the latter by FET input asplifiers G2, 2), For bipetar input amplifiers DC input dias current can be a potential ‘problos with dizect coupling to the cartridge, in viich case bas current compensation can be eaployed, by using the current eource 1B (1). This will ‘altow net Anput currente lees than 000k, FED input amplifiers have negligible ‘as currento, tut tend to typically have higher voltage noise. Yor high guin accuracy, particularly at high stage gaine, the amplifier should have a igh gainebandvidth product; preferrably 5 Wis or sore at audio frequencies. Because of the 100K foodback at high frequencies through C1-C2, the asplifior must be a unity gain stable type. ‘To minimise noiee from sources otter than the anplifier, RS ie sat to a value which generates a voltage nolee lov in relation to that of the amplifier used, ‘Tae 100 ohn value used here generates s 1,3:V/ff2 notse, which will increase 1 5A/Mis ampiitior noise by only 0. Me UE gain the etroatt can be caloulnted by the expression Ge ono. (i+m) 5 For the values show, the gain is just under 100 tines (or 4048). Lover gains ‘can be accomodated by increasing RS, but gains Igher than OMB may show Amereasing equalization errors, dependent upon the gatn-bandvi the amplifier ned, Dependent uyon the amplifier, this cireuit is capable of very low af lover ite entire range, generally below 0,01 at levels up to 7V nas, ascusing ABV oupplice, With high output devices (2,9), outputs up to 25V me are 3 possible with 24 or 28V supplies. ©5 ond Rh form a aimpleGeB per octave runble filter, with Placing a rumble filter's high pass action after the preasp hae property of diecriminating against the RIAA amplified LF noine componente, addition to pickup produced LF cteturbancess ‘As can be noted frot the figure'e simplicity, C3 is the only DC blocking capacitor in the circuit, In as much as the DC gain of the circuit is on the order of 6048, the F wed must be a lov offect voltage device, with an offset voltage inaonsitive to the sources This impliae an offset voltage on the order of 1aV, and a bias curront of S0uA or loss, Soth of theae requirements fre realistic in terns of current devicess Hover they must benet consistent with bandvidth, ower output, and elew rat lesigner may aloo wish to consider coapoaite connections (1+ PASSIVELY SALTZ PHONO STAGES A current aren of high audiophile interest ‘e passively equalized preamplifier circuits for disc signal eourcess A eircult topology which con be used for touch RIAA phono applications 4m shown in figure 2. Mase cireust 6 of two igh quality gain blocs, Al and Ady each of which 1s set up for the required gatn via R2 and Rl, and a4 and RB. Input termination as appropriate to the particular cartridge used is provided by RE and Ct, watch cre optinized for fat jeponse into thie pasoive net= work, as in figure 1s Gain blocks Al and A2 could be identical for simplicity, tut are necessarily rot 0 for reasons to follow» The.gain values ahava yield 4 WZ gain whieh 4te the product of the AL-AZ gaine (2447 tines 40.2), and that of the inter= taee stage netvori, For a RIAA equalised phono casey # ata 4 the DC gainy which yotlde the overall gain of 4OMB, Other gains can be realized USE gain of the eireutt te fost simply by ainor increments to Rb. In gene @ = onn0n (2 Re) (2 Be) fa A pesstvely equalized pressplifier mich as thie must be carefully optinized for igual handling capability, both from an overloa’ standpoint ani fros a low noes viewpoint, Stage AL Le desirably chosen for a gain eufficlently high that injut referred noise vill be predainantly due to this tage (and the cartridge, oon comectad), but yet not oo high that 1¢ will readily elip at igh level, ‘nigh frequency inpute, Several anplifiere with a 10V ree capability will allow AL to accept A00nV rms at high frequencies as shown, with 16V supplies. ‘Bren higher levels are posaible, ning high output devicees Mee above factors dictate that the gain atstes fon between AL and AZ de LO¥/ HIGH fron an overload standpoint, but EIGI/LOW froa a noise standpoint Pratical= yy these conflicting requireneate can be aitignted ty choosing the highest allovable supply voltage for AL, and the lovest noise device. Because of the sear NOD loss in the network M at 20:2, output overload of the circuit will be noted at igh frequencies first. With the gain Mietribation chosen the cSreuit will allow a 5Y ros undistorted output to 20H, with 15Y euppliesy land proportionally more with higher eupply voltages. Marther, the equalization network MM" which follove A should use the lovest Ampedance values practical fron the of low noise, as the nofee Imatput at pin 2 i equtmiont to the input referred nolee of AZ 42's notee 5 Se lees critical than Al at lov frequencies, but stilt not negligible, A low noise voltage dencity device ie very valuable to the Aland 12 7 relatively lov input current noise. ‘Bias current compensation may be appropriate to both Al unt A2, with bipolar ‘output D6 capacitor to eutfice for Do quilty fin unit is suggest: Equalization networks appli {in figure 3, and are largely constants of $180,318 and 75uS as in (5), and convenient “no ria!” veluce aro Listed for enghs Tt Le again strongly ree that only the highest quality components be employed for those networks, a8 dLseusced above, Te specific values euggusted are uot truly optimum from « low iapedance and ‘ow noise standpoint, but practical realities for jenera usage vill most 2i:01y deter using aporecigbly lower ones. ‘The components should be adequately ‘shielded of course, with the outside foila of Cl or C2 connected to coanen.‘concLISTON A reriev of tho shove reveele that each type of cireutt has both merite and protioas, and perhaps each can best be applied where the merite outweigh the Atsadvantages. They both can provide very accurate, gain stable equalization, given the appropriate device and component attentions aepn0o ‘ransconductance mode operetion of op saps dn interesting option applicable to many op aap devices se to apply tnner loop feedback via the device's balance pins, as in figure 4 (1). RA and BB provide oes loop feedback around the internal st + extending the applicable open leop bandvidth, while lowering open loop gains This bandwidth extension resores the open loop ~6i5 per octave gain variation within the audible range, and atntat ing closed loop agua! phase modulation with eigga as described in (6). ‘This is an option of eouree, and if applied showlé bbe accoaplished with come care, as the resistors connected to the balance pins can alter the device's DC offeet and neces to a conpenentary tris to RB. syen oop exin for bgndwidth, consis with ‘Pinalty, it ohowld be noted that the range of gain te dependent upon the device's inherent, transcond with no overall feedback, at etego gains on the order of 10-30 tinesy ? References: vung, W-6. 2vungy 4-64 Bplspenstey 8.P. 4) dungy Woes Marahy Ral S)stout D.P. Bautman He Gotta, Me Darah, Rall B)vensen, 2+ y--- ro Op Aap Cookbook,2nd Zéition", HM, Some sand Company 1980+ ""hudio 10 Op Aap Applications,2nd Bastion" Hw, Same ond Company 1978. "A Paseively Equalized Phono Prowsy"s 5780 June 1980. oosh Ampstien” SAB, Vob 28 # 22, Jane/Febs 19805 2? 269h. wus1000 Aaphiier Hotute", Sentes Corps, Cockryariiie, HD, 21030Fig. 2: PASSIVELY DQUALIAED FADWO PREMRi 2 7 : Moreton _—_—Clogast standard vale 2 mn 97K 9.76 2 Ba an a Oe OrdaF (omse) a Olen ona? 36 ® 2 R, mo 7.29K ce * zm Loe a le co & Slonr 3 RIAA NETWORKS (T1=3180us, 2=33Bus, 73-75u0) Ra Wwpets ourpor Raz Re Rs igs 4: TRARGOONDUCTANCE-NODE OPSRATION OF OPAMP DEVICE