"Limited Edition" original Legato is happening

[AR-T]

Found enough old power (toroidal) transformers, and filter caps, to make a limited run. The PCBs are being made. If there is enough interest, we'll make more.

But................

The price is going to have to go up. The cost of the most important parts has increased a lot, since we first made these. The ones we are working on will still go for the old price, so get 'em while they last!

We will also have to make new front panels, since there are not enough old ones past what we need for this run. Plus, it has mention of the place we used to be in, and that needs to be removed. (Yes, the next batch, if there ever is one, will make no mention of where we are. The layout of it may also change. Maybe. Who knows. We'll worry about that if these all sell in a week or so. Like that is going to happen!)

Oh................we are trying out something new, when it comes to the clock. Won't say what it is, but it is a nice little touch. (Yeah, it costs money, as well. So, yes, the price will have to go up. All these little things cost money, and go far above what anyone else in this silly industry does. Mainly because they are "audio" engineers, and they look at everything as just "audio". They overlook a lot of stuff, because it is out of their element. </rant>)

[AR-T]

The PCBs are here!

Better hope I didn't make any mistakes.....................

[AR-T]

HA! No one, including me noticed the missing trace that supplies + 5 V to part of the unit!

S/N 1901 is up and running. Measured the clock, with only it turned on. (To make sure that any stray radiation from the power transformer doesn't show up in the phase noise plots. It really isn't in the jitter. Don't ask how I know...............I just do. There are ways to tell if it is part of the noise or just a measurement artifact.) Anyway, it is -91 dBc@ 1 Hz offset. Not bad, eh.

Anyway...............maybe I will find a USB stick so I can copy it and paste it here. Might even take a photo of it, w/o the PSU finished.

S/N 1902 is not far behind. I measured its clock in the standard test fixture, and it looks to be the same as 1901.

[AR-T]

OK, a crappy photo, of a "bare" S/N 1901:



(Now do you see why we like making the "Lite" better? Most of the PCB is the PSU, and if you can get a $10 "wall wart" to work almost as well..................)

"What is that funny metal can, and what is under it? And why is it there?"

The clock is under it, and it is mainly there so no one can see what is under it.

That................and probably another reason I am not about to disclose. Let's just say if it wasn't needed then it would not be there. Those cans are not cheap. Even if you find them surplus, like we did.

(I know at this point someone, most likely the guy who just got his $400 special, will ask if his has one and if not, does it need it? No, it does not. What the hell do you think you are going to get for $400. Hell, we probably need to sell it for a lot more, if we are going to stay in business, so be happy with what you got. Besides, you saw the phase noise plots, so it can't be life or death without it. We did something else in yours. And if you take the lid off, and start showing folks what is inside.......................well, remember we are Italians. I'll leave it at that.)

Speaking of phase noise plots.....................



Maybe I will go back and try to get a cleaner image of that.......................maybe not.......................

[AR-T]

OK, same unit, all put together.............



Here is a montage of the phase noise, during different phases:



So, what is the purpose of that?

Well...........

Some of them were taken with just the clock powered up, and fed with an external SMPS. Others were with everything operating, and still using the cheap wall wart to power everything. Others are with everything running, and using the internal "leen-yer" PSU. And some are more of that, but with that metal can soldered in place.

What it is supposed to do does not show up in the phase noise plots.

At this point, I know some of you are asking "then why the hell is it in there?"

Oh, it is in there for a reason. Only I am not saying. Let's put it this way: as cheap as we are, do you really think we would put a mu-metal can in one of these crappy things if it didn't do something?

"WOW.........................did you just say 'mu-metal'?"

Yep, I sure did.

"So, are you going to tell us why mu-metal?"

Do you really need to ask?

HELL NO!

Look..................if I did tell you, heads would explode. Damn near everyone (read: audio people who think they know everything about everything audio and everything audio is just audio and none of that RF crap you morons ramble on about means diddly-squat) will tell you it is further proof we are retards.

So............how 'bout this........................

Some brave soul needs to go over to that DIY site that all of us have been kicked off of (some of us more than once, as the person who's name shall not be named plays all kinds of stupid sock puppet games and gets mad when the rest of us are oblivious to his silly antics because none of us are the least bit interested in stupid stuff like that), and tell them we are putting our clocks in mu-metal cans and ask them why the hell we would do something like that.

Go ahead, I dare you!

In fact, I almost beg you. This should be fun.

Of course it could just be so we can screw with their tiny brains, but since we are notoriously cheap...................well, you decide!

OK, I am off to the Post Office...............

[drmike]

#1901 has landed, this is pretty awesome right out of the box. thanks pat.
drmike

[AR-T]

Great!

Please tell everyone that you know how good it is. We would all appreciate it.

One thing we have learned, over the last 30 years or so, is that the customers who purchase our products are music lovers that would rather actually listen to music than talking about listening to music. They tend not to be the types who go on-line and blather on how they got a great deal on something inexpensive, and then paid someone more than its value to have it "modified"/"upgraded". (Like the folks who build any product need some random third-party goober taking their gear apart, and making it "better".) Since we are so bad at self-promotion, we need all the help we can get.

Anyway, glad you like it, right out of the box. In a few hours, after the clock stabilizes, it should be a bit more impressive. Hope you get years of enjoyment out of it.