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ModularAudioPreamplifier
HighQuality,DiscreteComponentsDesign
InputandToneControlModules
MainModulecircuitdiagram:

Parts:
R1_______________1K51/4WResistor
R2_____________220K1/4WResistor
R3______________18K1/4WResistor
R4_____________330R1/4WResistor
R5______________39K1/4WResistor
R6______________56R1/4WResistor
R7,R10__________10K1/4WResistors
R8______________33K1/4WResistor
R9_____________150R1/4WResistor
R11_____________6K81/4WResistor
R12,R13________100R1/4WResistors
R14____________100K1/4WResistor
C1_____________220nF63VPolyesterCapacitor
C2_____________220pF63VPolystyreneorceramicCapacitor
C3_______________1nF63VPolyesterorceramicCapacitor
C4,C7___________47F50VElectrolyticCapacitors
C5,C6__________100F50VElectrolyticCapacitors
Q1,Q2_________BC550C45V100mALownoiseHighgainNPNTransistors
Q3____________BC55665V100mAPNPTransistor
Q4____________BC54665V100mANPNTransistor

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ToneControlModulecircuitdiagram:

Parts:
R1,R7___________47K1/4WResistors
R2_____________220K1/4WResistor
R3______________18K1/4WResistor
R4_____________330R1/4WResistor
R5______________39K1/4WResistor
R6______________56R1/4WResistor
R8_____________150R1/4WResistor
R9______________10K1/4WResistor
R10,R16__________6K81/4WResistors
R11,R12________100R1/4WResistors
R13____________100K1/4WResistor
R14______________1K51/4WResistor
R15,R21,R22______4K71/4WResistors
R17,R24,R26______8K21/4WResistors
R18______________3K31/4WResistor
R19______________1K1/4WResistor
R20____________470R1/4WResistor
R23,R25_________12K1/4WResistors
R27,R28__________4K71/4WResistors
C1_____________220nF63VPolyesterCapacitor
C2_______________1nF63VPolyesterorceramicCapacitor
C3,C6___________47F50VElectrolyticCapacitors
C4,C5__________100F50VElectrolyticCapacitors
C7______________10nF63VPolyesterCapacitor
C8,C9__________100nF63VPolyesterCapacitors
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Q1,Q2_________BC550C45V100mALownoiseHighgainNPNTransistors
Q3____________BC55665V100mAPNPTransistor
Q4____________BC54665V100mANPNTransistor
SW1,SW2_______2poles6waysRotarySwitches

Simpler,alternativeToneControlparts:
P1______________22KLinearPotentiometer
P2______________47KLinearPotentiometer
R29,R30________470R1/4WResistors
R31,R32__________4K71/4WResistors
C10_____________10nF63VPolyesterCapacitor
C11,C12________100nF63VPolyesterCapacitors

Comments:
Tocomplementthe60WattMosFetAudioAmplifieraHighQualityPreamplifierdesignwasnecessary.
Adiscretecomponentstopology,using+and24Vsupplyrailswaschosen,keepingthetransistorcount
totheminimum,butstillallowinglownoise,verylowdistortionandhighinputoverloadmargin.
Obviously,themodulesformingthispreamplifiercanbeusedindifferentcombinationsanddrive
differentpoweramplifiers,providedthefollowingstagespresentareasonablyhighinputimpedance(i.e.
higherthan10KOhm).
MainModule:
IfaToneControlfacilityisnotneeded,thePreamplifierwillbeformedbytheMainModuleonly.Its
inputwillbeconnectedtosomesortofchangeoverswitch,inordertoallowseveralaudioreproduction
devicestobeconnected,e.g.CDplayer,Tuner,TapeRecorder,iPod,MiniDiscetc.Thetotalamountand
typeofinputsislefttothechoiceofthehomeconstructor.
TheoutputoftheMainModulewillbeconnectedtoa22KLog.potentiometer(dualgangifastereo
preampwasplanned).Thecentralandgroundleadsofthispotentiometermustbeconnectedtothepower
amplifierinput.
ToneControlModule:
ThisModuleemploysanunusualtopology,stillmaintainingthebasicopampcircuitryoftheMain
Modulewithafewchangesinresistorvalues.
Aspecialfeatureofthiscircuitistheuseofsixwaysswitchesinsteadofthemorecommon
potentiometers:inthisway,precise"toneflat"setting,orpresetdBstepsinbassandtrebleboostorcut
canbeobtained.ToneControlswitchesalsoallowamoreprecisechannelmatchingwhenastereo
configurationisused,avoidingthefrequentpooralignmentaccuracypresentedbycommonganged
potentiometers.
Sixways(twopolesforstereo)rotaryswitcheswerechosenforthispurposeaseasilyavailable.This
dictatedtheunusual"asymmetrical"configurationofthreepositionsforboost,oneforflatandtwofor
cut.Thischoicewasbasedonthefactthattonecontrolsareusedinpracticemoreforfrequencyboosting
thanforcuttingpurposes.Inanycase,+5dB+10dBand+15dBofbassboostand3dBand10dBofbass
cutwereprovided.Trebleboostwasalsosetto+5dB+10dBand+15dBandtreblecutto3.5dBand
9dB.
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ThosewishingtousecommonpotentiometersintheusualwayforToneControlsmayusethecircuit
shownenclosedinthedashedbox(bottomrightoftheToneControlModulecircuitdiagram)toreplace
switchedcontrols.
TheToneControlModuleshouldusuallybeplacedaftertheMainInputModule,andthevolumecontrol
insertedbetweentheToneControlModuleoutputandthepoweramplifierinput.Alternatively,the
volumecontrolcanalsobeplacedbetweenMainInputModuleandToneControlModule,atwill.
Furthermore,thepositionofthesetwomodulescanbealsointerchanged.
Powersupply:
Thepreamplifiermustbefeedbyadualrail,+24and24V50mAdcpowersupply.Thisiseasily
achievedbyusinga48V3VAcentertappedmainstransformer,a100V1Abridgerectifierandacouple
of2200F50Vsmoothingcapacitors.Tothesecomponentstwo24VICregulatorsmustbeadded:a
7824(or78L24)forthepositiverailanda7924(or79L24)forthenegativeone.
ThediagramofsuchapowersupplyisthesameofthatusedintheHeadphoneAmplifier,butthe
voltagesofthesecondarywindingofthetransformer,smoothingcapacitorsandICregulatorsmustbe
uprated.Alternatively,thedcvoltagecanbedirectlyderivedfromthedcsupplyrailsofthepower
amplifier,providedthatboth24Vregulatorsareadded.
Note:
Ifthispreamplifierisusedasaseparate,standalonedevice,thusrequiringacableconnectionto
thepoweramplifier,somekindofoutputshortcircuitprotectionisneeded,duetopossibleshorts
causedbyincorrectplugging.Thesimplestsolutionistowirea3K31/4Wresistorinseriestothe
outputcapacitorofthelastmodule(i.e.themodulehavingitsoutputconnectedtothepreampmain
outputsocket).
Technicaldata:
MainModuleInputsensitivity:
250mVRMSfor1VRMSoutput
ToneControlModuleInputsensitivity:
1VRMSfor1VRMSoutput
Maximumoutputvoltage:
13.4VRMSinto100Kload,11.3VRMSinto22Kload,8.8VRMSinto10Kload
Frequencyresponse:
flatfrom20Hzto20KHz
Totalharmonicdistortion@1KHz:
1VRMS0.002%5VRMS0.003%7VRMS0.003%
Totalharmonicdistortion@10KHz:
1VRMS0.003%5VRMS0.008%7VRMS0.01%

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