[singular]

So I'm toying with the idea of getting a turntable in my system. Got a few records about and it'd be nice to hear them through a new system. I guess the simplest solution is just to plug it straight into a headphone amp and take it from there. However from what I read a phono pre-amp makes quite a difference. Is a phono stage the same thing? If not what are each of them doing?

Are we looking at having turntable > phono stage > pre-amp > headphone amp > phones?

Thanks in advance for shedding any light on my ignorance!

Sam

 

[catachresis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by singular /img/forum/go_quote.gif So I'm toying with the idea of getting a turntable in my system. Got a few records about and it'd be nice to hear them through a new system. I guess the simplest solution is just to plug it straight into a headphone amp and take it from there. However from what I read a phono pre-amp makes quite a difference. Is a phono stage the same thing? If not what are each of them doing? Are we looking at having turntable > phono stage > pre-amp > headphone amp > phones? Thanks in advance for shedding any light on my ignorance! Sam

Somebody's about to come along and tell you more, better, and more better accurately as well. The pickup from a phono cartridge is *very* low power. Typically, one of the good-old preamp/integrated amps of yesteryear would have a special dedicated phono input that amplified the signal coming from the turntable, so your album sounded about as loud as your tuner, your cassette deck, and your cd player.

But the phono cartridges emit different levels of signal as well. To be absurdly reductive (which, Lor' Bless Me, I often am) cartridges with moving magnet pickup devices usually emit more powerful signals than the famously more sensitive, high-end moving coil cartridges. Long ago, in a galaxy far away, when people upgraded their carts from MM to MC they often needed an additional phono stage preamplifier to get the moving coil signal up to a level that could be played by their amp's phono input. Other folks just got extremely expensive and fancy phono preamplifiers that would permit them to alter the signal coming from the turntable for a variety of cartridges with different signal strengths. A dedicated phono stage preamplifier would allow one to play the turntable signal through a preamp's line-in, even if it wasn't an enhanced phono line-in.

So the short of it (in my foolishly oversimplified world) is that the signal from your new turntable needs to be amplified so that it plays loudly, fully, and dynamically enough when it hits your headphone amp. The question would be, what is the best yokeybob to put between the ttable and the headphone amp?

 

[tom hankins]

You will need a phonostage/phonopreamp (they are the same thing)
Your system will go like this
turntable>phonostage>headphone amp>phones.

You wont need a preamp, although some preamps have phonostages built in them. Personally If your not using speakers, I would get a stand alone phonostage. You will need one wether or not your using MM or MC cartridges.

 

[singular]

Thanks for clearing up the stage/amp confusion.

Ideally I'd like to be able to run the system through speakers as well as headphones. Is there something which can go between phono stage and amps to select which amp the output is going to? Switching cables around all the time could be tiresome...

 

[tom hankins]

If your going to run a speaker system too, then you will need a preamp. Your best bet is to look into older model with a built in phonostage. These are known as full funtion preamps. Without phonostage would be linestage only.
How much are you planning on spending and what type of cartridge do you plan on getting?
If you use a MM cartridge you get alot more options than a low output MC. Although IMO not as good of sound.

 

[singular]

Budget is fairly limited probably around £300 ($500?) on the turntable. I'm looking at the base level Regas P1/2 and Projects. Cartridges, I think in the range I'm looking at most turntables come with them. Otherwise I'd lean towards Grado as I'm a fan of their headphones.

 

[iriverdude]

Could look for a old pre IAG/TAG Audiolab 8000C, it's a preamp, with a headphone amp and a MM/MC phono stage.

 

[tom hankins]

Do you have a speaker amp yet? If not I would get a used integrated amp or reciever with built in phonostage. I think the Rega P1 for 395.00 US dollars complete with cartridge is a great entry table. It would be my choice. i have heard one with this little phonostage and it was really nice.AudiogoN ForSale: NAD PP-2 mm/mc

 

[singular]

Yeah, I have a Cambridge Azur 340 speaker amp hooked up to Celestion F30 speakers. That NAD phonostage is one I was looking at just earlier, glad to hear more positives! So looks like Rega P1 > NAD PP-2 > CA 340 - to be augmented with dedicated headphone amp at some point in the future, love the looks of the Grado RA1 and think I'm becoming a bit of a Grado fan... Any opinions on how all this would run together?

 

[iriverdude]

Quote:

love the looks of the Grado RA1

Buy a CMOY.

 

[singular]

iriverdude - is this the one

 

[iriverdude]

yup. It's quite old now, but it does have all the features you need. Also if you rarely use speakers then why have a poweramp/integrated switched on? Uses more power. Also benefit low level phono/pre/headphone stage is totally seperate from poweramp stage.

 

[singular]

So with that audiolab amp I could manage without a dedicated headphone amp? Just run turntable > 8000C > phones? If so that sounds very attractive as it cuts out a couple of extra bits of componentry!

 

[iriverdude]

yup. Also look for Arcam Alpha 9C, but make sure it has the phono board upgrade.

http://www.stereomecmuasi.com/forum/...hp?f=62&p=6645

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by singular /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for clearing up the stage/amp confusion. Ideally I'd like to be able to run the system through speakers as well as headphones. Is there something which can go between phono stage and amps to select which amp the output is going to? Switching cables around all the time could be tiresome...

Yes, look for a preamp with a phono stage. I use a vintage Conrad-Johnson PV2. It has two tape loops out which you can connect to two headphone amps. It has four inputs and an onboard phono stage. I hook the preamp's output to a power amp for speakes.

When you connect everything, you can switch between the sources, headphone amps and whether to use speakers.

I don't know if you can find much Conrad-Johnson gear in the UK, however, you should look at other used preamps with similar connections. I know they're out there and there are a number of affordable ones. I paid $300 USD for mine.