Phono preamp-modules

[hjames]

I just did a search for Phono amp/modules/eq with no luck.
Sometime in the last 4 weeks or so someone posted a link to a company that make a series of external phono preamp modules - the price and quality varied quite a bit but it seemed like they filled a real need.

Well, my new HK receiver has no Turntable/phono input - and at least part of my audio urges are realized with my ancient Denon turntable.
So I need some kind of module or external amp with RIAA eq to step it up to line level and feed it into the HK.

Ideas, comments? Perhaps the author of the previous post I vaguely remember can help me out?

[grumpy]

http://www.needledoctor.com/Online-Store/Phono-Preamps

not a recommendation, but an example of price ranges... I have a friend
the uses the Bellari and likes it... I have a few-years-old AR unit that I'm
fond of. NAD makes one that's a reasonable place to start without breaking
the bank and gets good bang for the buck reviews... -grumpy

(you can find many of the examples at this web site cheaper elsewhere...
some are intended for moving coil vs. the more "normal" moving magnet...
no point to pay for the extra low noise & gain if it's not needed)

[moldyoldy]

Hi, Heather,

A fairly inexpensive option is a pair of (yellow) Altec 1579 modules. For your app would require minor DIY, a pair of octal sockets, a small project box, and a wall wort PS. They show on eBay fairly regular, usually bring ~$25-30 each. Simple project, pleasing results, but likely would get you booted from any hi-ender circles (which suits me just fine ). I'll dig some out and post specs if you want.

http://www.lansingheritage.org/image...pro/page21.jpg

[grumpy]

sounds like a fun project! -grumpy

[moldyoldy]

I installed a pair internal to the TT. No low-level cable loss/issues for me!

[jamh]

Hi, Heather,

A fairly inexpensive option is a pair of (yellow) Altec 1579 modules. For your app would require minor DIY, a pair of octal sockets, a small project box, and a wall wort PS. They show on eBay fairly regular, usually bring ~$25-30 each. Simple project, pleasing results, but likely would get you booted from any hi-ender circles (which suits me just fine ). I'll dig some out and post specs if you want.

http://www.lansingheritage.org/image...pro/page21.jpg

I'm in the process of building a phono preamp with the 1579s, but with a custom power supply of high quality. Does anyone have any experience with these modules and would like to add anything?

I'm using a 12V toroidal tranny, a cascade of MUIR diodes and fairly beefy caps.

[BugC]

Hi Heather,

Have you tried Marchand Electronics?

Cheers,
BugC

[rs237]

Hi Heather,

here the winner of the ETF06 RIAA is comparison test.

http://www.hagtech.com/cornet2.html

regards

juergen

[Fred Sanford]

7:25 AM, on a dingy, grey Virginia morning...a cry for help comes over the mountains...

This sounds like a job for...cue my theme song:

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/sounds/sanfordandson.wav

...as our hero emerges from the junk-strewn basement with a new-in-the-box:

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Iss...fphonopack.htm

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr...58539&read&3&4

Looks like they've got a new product out:

http://www.musichallaudio.com/mmf_pr...rolook=bellari

Heather, as usual, feel free to borrow it to see if it suits your needs, and we'll either work out a deal or this can help you learn what exactly you do want.

7:28, and the cereal didn't even get soggy.

je

[X_X]

Welcome to the wide world of phono preamps. As you might imagine, suggesting a phono pre is like suggesting a car. There are so many kinds and styles to choose from, one can get lost in the choices. Being the vinyl junkie that I am- I think a wildly competitive marketplace like this only suppports the fact that more people are getting into vinyl these days. Blame it on the CD format wars. Blame it on the fact vinyl sounds so good and selling off your old records isn't worth the hassle. Why not spin 'em!?

Since there are so many choices and flavors- defining your absolute needs and budget will get you to your picks in a hurry. For example, what type of cart do you have (MM or MC)? What level of db step up is necessary? What traits are you looking for (a quiet pre, a tube or solid state model, a battery powered unit, etc.)?

If you want to test your skills with a soldering iron- there are hundreds of free DIY schematics available on the web. Nelson Pass made several top notch solid state units- readily available to the DIY community. There are many more...

When it comes to budget, remember that most entry level units will be focusing on the midrange portions of the material. Extending to the absolute lows and highs is typically a trademark of the pricier units. Not always the case but more the norm.

If you find a complete preamp with a decent phono section- you can use just the phono section of that pre and route it into your other (main) pre. The Dynaco PAS3 preamp is just one popular example of this. It has a very respectable phono section. A lot of people use a Dynaco PAS for its phono section only. I once used just the board of a PAS3 (upgraded parts) and powered it with a torroidal and solid state rectification and it sounded amazing! It took a $2K preamp (A blueberry extreme) to put it out.

For the really tight budget- look at the pro DJ type phono preamps. They are dirt cheap and will get you spinning in no time. Don't expect an involving musical performance, yet some sound decent enough to get you by.

The Bellari unit Grumpy suggested is a good choice for your entry into tube phono preamps. I know someone with it and he loves it. It is very popular.

Another friend of mine uses this little gem to good effect:
http://www.wickeddigital.com.au/Fire...r-p-16763.html

There are wonderful merits to using battery powered units. I remember seeing a battery powered unit in the $150 price point recently. Stereophile had a quick snippit on it. Pretty favorable as I recall. I will try to track it down for you and post a link if you are interested.

More to come.

Nate.

[JBLRaiser]

Welcome to the wide world of phono preamps. As you might imagine, suggesting a phono pre is like suggesting a car. There are so many kinds and styles to choose from, one can get lost in the choices. Being the vinyl junkie that I am- I think a wildly competitive marketplace like this only suppports the fact that more people are getting into vinyl these days. Blame it on the CD format wars. Blame it on the fact vinyl sounds so good and selling off your old records isn't worth the hassle. Why not spin 'em!?

Since there are so many choices and flavors- defining your absolute needs and budget will get you to your picks in a hurry. For example, what type of cart do you have (MM or MC)? What level of db step up is necessary? What traits are you looking for (a quiet pre, a tube or solid state model, a battery powered unit, etc.)?

If you want to test your skills with a soldering iron- there are hundreds of free DIY schematics available on the web. Nelson Pass made several top notch solid state units- readily available to the DIY community. There are many more...

When it comes to budget, remember that most entry level units will be focusing on the midrange portions of the material. Extending to the absolute lows and highs is typically a trademark of the pricier units. Not always the case but more the norm.

If you find a complete preamp with a decent phono section- you can use just the phono section of that pre and route it into your other (main) pre. The Dynaco PAS3 preamp is just one popular example of this. It has a very respectable phono section. A lot of people use a Dynaco PAS for its phono section only. I once used just the board of a PAS3 (upgraded parts) and powered it with a torroidal and solid state rectification and it sounded amazing! It took a $2K preamp (A blueberry extreme) to put it out.

For the really tight budget- look at the pro DJ type phono preamps. They are dirt cheap and will get you spinning in no time. Don't expect an involving musical performance, yet some sound decent enough to get you by.

The Bellari unit Grumpy suggested is a good choice for your entry into tube phono preamps. I know someone with it and he loves it. It is very popular.

Another friend of mine uses this little gem to good effect:
http://www.wickeddigital.com.au/Fire...r-p-16763.html

There are wonderful merits to using battery powered units. I remember seeing a battery powered unit in the $150 price point recently. Stereophile had a quick snippit on it. Pretty favorable as I recall. I will try to track it down for you and post a link if you are interested.

More to come.

Nate.

newer model Chinese 6sn7 preamp just to play the vinyl. The 12ax7 tube phono stage is very musical. They are readily available on Ebay.

[coherent_guy]

Here are a few more examples of phono preamps for you. I'm not recommending that you purchase from this retailer per se, although I have had good experiences with them in the past:

http://www.audioadvisor.com/products...=title&sort_by=

Since CD/Digital media became prevalent, many manufactuers stopped including phono preamps in their products as you have experienced first hand. If you are an analog enthusiast you might want to consider a unit with the capability of setting the input impedance and amount of input capacitance to optimize the frequency response of the phono cartridge. Different cartridges function optimally with different "loading" settings of those two parameters. This is not essential but is nice to have.

As with most things in audio, the sky is the limit in phono preamps too, with units being available for thousands of dollars. Given that you can purchase a cheap receiver for $200, phono preamps similarly priced may seem ridiculous, but that is the reality of things. Good luck!!