[jjhatfield]

Hello!

I'm doing research into the possiblity of adding a turntable to my setup. Problem is I of course thought I would just be able to buy a new turntable and run an optical/coax cable from it to my Stello DA100, which then runs into my HA-2 MKII SE, the same way I do with my CDP. Then I read all about phono stages, preamps, etc., and my crystal clear naive preconception about vinyl has been muddied. Is a preamp just something I have to introduce between the turntable and the DAC?

I've done some searching but am left with a question: can I run a turntable through my DAC + amp? Or do I need completely new equipment to do the jobs they do with my CDP?

Sorry for the newbie question, but I have to start somewhere.

 

[swt61]

You won't be hooking the turntable up to the DAC at all. The turntable puts out an analog signal. A DAC converts digital signals to analog so that your speakers receive a signal they can turn into sound waves. So you just need a phono preamp to boost the signal from the cartridge. Some preamps already have a phono preamp integrated into them. I hope this helps.
You can purchase an inexpensive phono preamp and plug your turntable into it's inputs then run the outputs from the phono preamp into your headphone amp. Cheap phono preamps can be had on ebay for as little as $30.00 or so.

 

[fran]

When a record is made, there is some EQ applied for technical reasons (bass response is attenuated). When you want to play it back this needs to be reversed - this is issue no. 1 for you. Second, the signal from the stylus on a TT is tiny, at best only a few mV - for comparison the signal from your DAC/CDP is probably 2V, ie 1000 x times bigger.

So what you need is a phono stage that corrects the EQ (you will see references to RIAA curve) and boosts the signal to appropriate levels. A cheap but good phono stage is a NAD PP2, available on ebay for $50-80. The leads from your TT plug into the appropriate sockets on the phono stage and then you need a second set of interconnects to go from the phono stage to the inputs on your headphone amp. There are various kinds of cartridges (ie the bit where the stylus is), but it boils down to MM (moving magnet) or MC (moving coil). MM is cheaper, gives a bigger signal, and these have improved a lot in recent years. MC is regarded as better usually, are more expensive, and have an output lower than an MM cart. The phono stage you buy will need to deal with these issues. The NAD PP2 will do both admirably.

Lastly, there is a Bellari VP something that combines both MM tube phono stage and headphone amp, but don't know how it sounds, but I suspect the NAD PP2 would beat it at 1/3 the price from what I have read.

Fran

 

[jjhatfield]

Quote:

Originally Posted by swt61 /img/forum/go_quote.gif You won't be hooking the turntable up to the DAC at all. The turntable puts out an analog signal. A DAC converts digital signals to analog so that your speakers receive a signal they can turn into sound waves. So you just need a phono preamp to boost the signal from the cartridge. Some preamps already have a phono preamp integrated into them. I hope this helps. You can purchase an inexpensive phono preamp and plug your turntable into it's inputs then run the outputs from the phono preamp into your headphone amp. Cheap phono preamps can be had on ebay for as little as $30.00 or so.

*thinks about the term "DAC"*

*thinks about what it stands for*

*ponders "digital to analog converter"*

*analyzes the individual terms*

*thinks about the one thing he really knows about record players*

*analog*

*facepalms*

Told you it was a nub question.

Thanks fran and swt for the quick responses, exactly what I needed to know!

 

[Jo6Pak]

Stanton (and probably others) makes a TT with optical digital out, if you really want to go that route...

 

[swt61]

I fully concur with Fran on the NAD PP2 as well. It's a very nice sounding phono stage at a great price. And don't beat yourself up, that wasn't a silly question at all. I just happen to be an old dude, and am very familiar with analog.