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"Piccolo" MC Headamp ($129 box/2) Order now!

The Piccolo is an active moving coil pre-preamplifier designed to step-up the cartridge signal from MC to MM levels. Adjustable loading and gain offers optimization for any MC cartridge. The discrete JFET circuit offers super-quiet and distortion-free operation. Compatible with any MM phonostage.

Power is provided by either 4 internal AA batteries or a 120Vac external supply. The circuit employs super low-noise matched JFETs in a differential configuration, but tapping only the non-inverting leg for the output buffer, which can drive long cable runs. Careful attention to layout and wiring eliminate ground loop problems.

The Piccolo is offered as a "box/2", which is not a full kit, but includes a blank PCB with the JFETs already soldered in place, the metal blue case (silkscreened), and a few assorted hardware pieces. Basically, it is a half-kit plus box. This makes assembly very easy for DIYers.

Click for a larger image
Completed Piccolo

Features

  • Discrete JFET zero-feedback circuit design
  • Adjustable loading
  • Adjustable gain
  • Internal battery or AC power supply operation

Specifications

Gain12, 20, 26 dB
Input Impedance47, 100, 220, 470, 1k, 47k
Output Impedance300 ohms
Bandwidth (-3dB)10Hz to 1MHz
Distortion<0.01% @1kHz
SNR85dB ref 5mV A-weighted
Overload140mV @1kHz @26dB
Size3" x 5" x 2"
Power6Vdc to 24Vdc @15mA
Battery Life4 alkaline AA, 200 hours

Reviewer Excerpts

"... Hum and hiss from the Piccolo were absolutely fine, add to this the flexibility and ease of changing settings then the Piccolo is a winner in term of features ... From the mid-range to upper treble I found that the Piccolo delivers additional clarity and definition of the leading edge of notes. Treble is more refined and seems in better balance with other frequencies ... the Hagerman head amplifier gave me the treble improvement I was looking for and provided improved resolution too. When comparing the two approaches [TX103] I was always left with the feeling that the Piccolo was the more transparent option ... The combination of improved sonics and greater flexibility will see me using the Piccolo instead of my highly regarded Step-Up transformers." - Clive Owen

Downloads

Customer Testimonials

  • I think it's a great sounding piece or more accurately, non-sounding, in that is doesn't seem to leave a sonic footprint.
  • The sound is absolutely fantastic. Was using a step-up transformer and the Piccolo eliminated the hum that was driving me nuts. I am spinning vinyl almost exclusively now.
  • Man, I have to tell you that this is by *FAR* the most satisfying kit I've built. The increase in dynamics and soundstaging I expected are there in spades! HUGE!
  • A short note to say many many thanks for such a fabulous sounding phono amp as the Piccolo. The other phono amps I've built are a John Linsley Hood one from William Hart in the UK, and a K & K one with Lundahl step up transformers. Both are quite good, the K & K one sounding a bit recessed and, despite its rave review in Stereophile, a wee bit disappointing. Your Piccolo eats them both for breakfast!!!! and sounds nothing short of stunning into the MM stage of my Antique Sound Labs pre amp. The sound stage is rock-solid, the frequency response and detail is just perfect, and I can adjust it to suit different cartridges that I have.
  • For the first time I am able to hear the nuance a good moving coil cartridge brings to the turntable. Despite being almost 20 years old, my vdH MC 10, through the Piccolo, sounds simply gorgeous. I have tried this cartridge with a dedicated moving coil phono preamp (modified Aragon 47K), step up transformers etc. None of them come close ot the sound of the Piccolo running into my Luxman EQ 88 phono stage. The combination is magical. Compared to this combo, a pretty good, not great, but pretty good properly loaded step up transformer sounds thick and turgid.
  • The Piccolo is finished and working fine. I had reservations about using a solid state device in this place as all my system is tube based, but I wanted something that would give the gain I need and be quiet. This I felt would be hard with tubes. So how does it sound. It sounds like nothing at all. It does its job and doesn't lend any signature to the source. Just gives the gain I need. This to me is the best test of a good source component.