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Vinyl Asylum: REVIEW: Curcio Audio Engineering Sarah Phono Preamp by C.B.

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REVIEW: Curcio Audio Engineering Sarah Phono Preamp

64.109.157.130


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Model: Sarah
Category: Phono Preamp
Suggested Retail Price: $890
Description: All-tube phono preamplifier in kit form
Manufacturer URL: Curcio Audio Engineering
Manufacturer URL: Curcio Audio Engineering

Review by C.B. ( A ) on March 02, 2007 at 09:49:48
IP Address: 64.109.157.130
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for the Sarah


I purchased the PC boards and documentation set for this unit from Joe Curcio, based on my positive experience with his CD12V DAC five years ago. A word of caution--Joe is discontinuing the Sarah--once the present stock of PCBs is exhausted, he doesn't plan to have any more made. So perhaps this review will be of limited interest for that reason.

Nevertheless, it is a very fine unit. It has solved the problem of insufficient gain in my system--my previous phono pre, a scratch-built op-amp based unit based on a design from RJM Audio (who are evidentally no longer around) gave only about 40 dB of gain. With the 54 dB of gain of the Sarah, I can now achieve levels comparable to the other source equipment in my system.

The sound of my AT OC-9 low-output MC cartridge, playing through two Lundahl LL9206 step-up transformers feeding the Sarah, is huge and dynamic. Details and soundstaging are everything I could want. The low bass, especially, is excellent, with the bass drum on my Mercury Charbrier LP (Detroit Symphony/Paul Paray) coming through high, wide and handsome. Yet the realism and transparency of this same disc are amazing, too.

The construction of this "kit" was not without its problems, however. There were several errors and discrepancies between the parts list and circuit board diagrams which took some sorthing out. The biggest error was in the main wiring diagram--the hookups to the F+ and B terminals on the power supply board were reversed, causing false voltage readings. Luckily, no damage occured, and once I had the error corrected, the unit worked perfectly.

Well, not quite. With Joe Curcio's arrangement of outboard transformers but inboard power supply board, there was still a residual hum that I felt I had to eliminate. I remoted everything , including the power supply PC (which has a small transformer mounted to it), in a steel enclosure which I then connected with (3) Cinch-Jones connectors to the main chassis. After playing around with additional ground wires between turntable, arm and phono pre, the end result was NO hum at all, just a dull "rushing" sound at full volume which I attribute to tube noise.

I'm currently running (2) Ei 6922s selected for low noise, (2) Ediswan 6922s, and (2) Ei 12AT7s. I may substitute other tube types that I have on hand in the coming weeks, but for now, everything sounds mighty fine.

Based on my mixed experience during the building process, I can't give this unit an unqualified recommendation. Experienced hoobyists should have no problem, but the novice kit builder will almost certainly run into trouble. Then again, this kit will shortly be "unobtainium", so what does it matter?


Product Weakness: Challenging to build as a kit due to errors in documentation
Product Strengths: Dynamics, details, soundstage, high-gain (with step-up transformer)


Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: (4) scratch-built T8 OTLs
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Scratch-built Grounded Grid tube pre
Sources (CDP/Turntable): AT OC-9, SME 3009 II, scratch-built TT based on the AR design
Speakers: Newform Research NHB 45
Cables/Interconnects: home-brew
Music Used (Genre/Selections): classical, jazz, folk
Room Size (LxWxH): 30' x 20' x 16'
Time Period/Length of Audition: 1 month
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner




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Topic - REVIEW: Curcio Audio Engineering Sarah Phono Preamp - C.B. 09:49:48 03/2/07 ( 3)