These days there are several manufacturers offering phono stages but the beauty about the Dino is not only is it an excellent phono stage but it has five different gain settings, making it highly adaptable and virtually future-proof. I’ve had a Dino for just over ten years and can say with confidence it can be used with low output, exotic, £1000 moving coils to cheaper moving magnets, and still deliver an excellent sound. So my advice to anyone in market for a good phono stage is…… get a Dino. It could be the first and last phono stage you’ll ever need.” Ron C. Cambs.
◾Improved looks – Improved sound
◾Fully compatible with all Trichord Phono Stage power supplies
◾Noise levels reduced by 4.5dB
◾High quality PTFE gold plated phono connectors on rear panel
◾Re-designed circuit board with improved ground layout
◾New analogue output stage using Low Noise, precision JFET op amps to greatly improve sound quality
◾Compatible with MM and MC cartridges
◾Gain and cartridge loading adjustable by easily accessible DIP switches
The Dino Mk3 is a high performance phono amplifier which at an affordable price gives you tremendous value.
Designed for transparency and realism, this superb sounding amplifier is based on the fore-running Dino Mk1 and Dino Mk2 phono stages which have won many awards and accolades along the way.
Whether you have an ultra-low output Moving Coil cartridge or a high output Moving Magnet the Dino Mk3 will cope easily. A set of user friendly switches on the base of the unit allows you to simply adjust load and gain settings.
These settings are vital to match the amplifier to the cartridge and obtain the best sonic result. If your current phono stage only has a couple of options for this function, eg a MM/MC switch, then you are missing out on the ability to tune your system to it’s optimum.
An entire upgrade path exists for this product which allows you to improve performance each step of the way.
Two main items are required for operation – the Dino Mk3 phono stage itself and an accompanying power supply.
Start with the basic ac Toroidal Power Supply and work your way up in performance by upgrading to the ‘Dino+’ dc power supply, or ultimately to the ‘Never Connected’ dc power supply. An upgrade from the ‘Dino+’ to the ‘Never Connected’ is also possible by returning your unit to us to upgrade the electronics.
To further enhance the sonic performance of these dc power units an upgrade ‘High Performance Power Lead’ is available to replace the supplied dc power lead.
◾Power Supply options
◾Technical info
◾How to set the DIP switches
◾High Performance Power Lead
Technical Specifications:-
Stereo phono amplifier for Moving coil and Moving magnet cartridges. Fully passive equalisation between two active gain stages.
Switch selectable cartridge resistance loading (DIP 1 and 2)
33 ohms For Moving Coil cartridges
100 ohms For Moving Coil cartridges
1000 ohms For Moving Coil cartridges
47,000 ohms For Moving Magnet and some Moving Coil cartridges
Switch selectable capacitance loading (DIP 1 and 2)
100pF For Moving Magnet and Moving Coil cartridges
1000pF For Moving Coil cartridges
Please refer to your cartridge specification for correct loading settings.
Switch selectable gain (DIP 3 and 4)
Cartridge Type Sensitivity
MC Very Low: 100uV to 250uV (74dB)
MC Low: 250 to 400uV (70dB)
MC Normal: 400uV to 1mV (63dB)
MC High/MM Low: 1 to 3mV (52dB)
MM High: 3 to 5mV (48dB)
RIAA reproduction characteristics
20Hz to 20,000Hz +/-0.25dB
Output voltage: 0.5V at 1KHz
Power supply requirements
The Dino Mk2 can be powered from either an AC or a DC power supply.
AC requirements: two independent supplies of: 0v / 18v ac, 0v / 18v ac.
DC requirements: two independent supplies of: 0v /-22vdc , 0v / +22vdc
To avoid problems only use Trichord power supplies.
Dimensions and Weight
Overall case dimensions for Dino Mk2: 185mm x 58mm x 112mm (D x H x W)
‘Dino+’ PSU
NCPSU
Standard AC PSU
◾Power Supply options
◾How to set the DIP switches
◾High Performance Power Lead