Sutherland Hubble - Manual (Page 4)

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
a ‘good’ thing. Each channel will be affected in the same way, arriving in the listening room with the
relative difference in channel information preserved. Thus, all the stereo information, ambience and
spatial clues are maintained.
But some designs are more ‘dual-mono’ than others. There is an opportunity to pull away from the ordi-
nary by paying meticulous attention to construction and layout details. A look at ordinary layouts makes
it very clear that each channel sees a very different arrangement of channel components. This is
typically done to conveniently group back panel connectors, gain switches and loading switches. Even
though the channels have an identical circuit, the layout difference introduces subtle unbalance s.
The Hubble (stereo version) takes dual-mono to a higher level. Each channel is completely contained
on a separate and identical circuit board. The boards are exactly the same. Each signal sees exactly
the same circuitry AND the same physical layout of components. The only thing shared is the case,
power control board and batteries. Even though shared, they are shared in an identical way, with chan-
nel sameness maintained. Each mono board has its own energy storage capacity of 19,200 microfar-
ads.
The Hubble (mono version) is as mono as it gets. It is literally a mono phono preamplifier. It was con-
ceived for the collector of mono recordings that wants to listen with a mono cartridge. A pair of them
would be the ultimate ‘dual-mono’ stereophonic phono preamplifier.
MUST HAVE CONFIGURATION OPTIONS
One gain/load configuration will be optimum for a given system. There must be a mechanism
for finding and installing that best choice.
The common way puts every conceivable option on the circuit board. Then only one of the
available options is selected using some sort of switch. That approach is conventional, con-
venient and it works. Some products even have remote control to select configuration. On
the down side, the circuit board layout is compromised with the clutter of fitting in all option
components. Signal path must wander thru the selector switch and the pile of unused option
components. Sometimes the selector switch is of high quality. More often, it is a cheap DIP
rocker switch – the sort for setting digital signals. Not at all appropriate for passing the minute
analog voltages from a phono cartridge.
To keep the signal path tight and uncluttered, the Hubble uses plug in configuration boards.
Gold plated sockets for the configuration boards are located on the main circuit board very
close to the associated circuitry. Signal path length is kept short and direct. Only the one, op-
timum value component is applied to the signal path. The Hubble comes with 4 gain options
and 7 cartridge loading values. In addition, blank plug-in boards are included for fine tuning
with custom values. You are not limited to standard values. Options are unlimited – but only
one is in the circuit.