distinctlydustin Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 I have my AT-LP120 connected to the Lepai-2020A+ (Line). If I were to switch it to (Phono) and got a phono pre-amp to connect with the Lepai amp, should it sound better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eshame Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 would probably sound better to just get a better amp in general, i feel like getting a phono pre-amp for that amp would be a waste. unless you know you're getting another amp later to pair with the pre-amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
distinctlydustin Posted December 11, 2014 Author Share Posted December 11, 2014 would probably sound better to just get a better amp in general, i feel like getting a phono pre-amp for that amp would be a waste. unless you know you're getting another amp later to pair with the pre-amp. One day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dethrock Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 I can't imagine a phono preamp would make that thing sound any better. Especially assuming (which maybe I shouldn't,) that your budget for the phono preamp is quite small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
distinctlydustin Posted December 11, 2014 Author Share Posted December 11, 2014 I'm just asking if it will better than run with the Line option. I know it's a budget system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dethrock Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Is there anyway you could borrow one from a friend to try it out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
distinctlydustin Posted December 11, 2014 Author Share Posted December 11, 2014 I can also send the preamp back to Amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dethrock Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 I can also send the preamp back to Amazon. If you're able to do that, it doesn't hurt to try. If you can get it sounding better it's definitely worth it. Just out of curiosity, what phono preamp were you looking at? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
distinctlydustin Posted December 11, 2014 Author Share Posted December 11, 2014 http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000H2BC4E/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1418263760&sr=8-2π=AC_SY200_QL40 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eshame Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 I mean it will probably improve your sound some. the more you can separate components, generally the better the sound. your TT is handling the phono stage now so using a seperate piece of equipment to do that should be an improvement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tardcore Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 It probably won't sound worse. I wouldn't expect a huge improvement though. You're more likely to just get a slightly different kind of not-good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
distinctlydustin Posted December 11, 2014 Author Share Posted December 11, 2014 What if I just got this instead: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000MBUSD6/ref=mp_s_a_1_10?qid=1418268740&sr=8-10π=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70# Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mpitts Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 I would skip trying to augment the $20 amplifier and look for a decent low-watt vintage receiver on Craiglist. A nice 20-25w receiver with a phono stage could be as cheap as $40-50, if you keep your eyes peeled. Assuming it's in good shape, it would dance circles around what you are using right now. That's how I got into vintage gear, btw. I wound up buying a $150 preamp for my modern Yamaha receiver and wasn't happy with the sound. I picked up a Pioneer SX-626 off of CL for $50 two years ago and was instantly hooked. There are certainly some caveats that come along with vintage gear but the bang-for-buck is hard to beat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jase Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 I mean it will probably improve your sound some. the more you can separate components, generally the better the sound. your TT is handling the phono stage now so using a seperate piece of equipment to do that should be an improvement I agree with this in principle. But for people on a serious budget. It would likely be best to minamise the amount of interchanges. As there would likely be very cheap interconnects too. So until you're willing to drop coin on decent equipment, I'd say better off, less is more. Instead of spending more cash on cheap separate gear. Just buy a good quality integrated amp, and go from there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mesi Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Don't want to be "that" guy, but according to the stuff you post on this forum, you, just like most of us, seem to be dropping a ton of cash on records. Why not just put a hold on buying records for 1-2 months, which would give you the means to buy something which won't just be a stopgap for a few months but will serve you a long time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eshame Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 I would skip trying to augment the $20 amplifier and look for a decent low-watt vintage receiver on Craiglist. this was also going to be my suggestion. my first amp was this same lepai, then i found an 80s pioneer receiver on CL for like $50 with a built in phono stage which served me well for a year+. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
distinctlydustin Posted December 11, 2014 Author Share Posted December 11, 2014 I agree with all of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
distinctlydustin Posted December 11, 2014 Author Share Posted December 11, 2014 So, would a modern amp w/ phone ability around the $200 price range work? I've tried finding used. If I found one, I don't have anyone to repair if broken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eshame Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 So, would a modern amp w/ phone ability around the $200 price range work? I've tried finding used. If I found one, I don't have anyone to repair if broken. just be sure it has a built-in phono stage yeah. some newer amps/receivers have forgone phono. unless you already bought that phono pre-amp you mentioned earlier, then pretty much any amp/receiver would work. for $200 you could probably get something really nice. i would let what's available locally dictate what you buy. if you find anything interesting, post it here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
distinctlydustin Posted December 11, 2014 Author Share Posted December 11, 2014 Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouTwo Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 So, would a modern amp w/ phone ability around the $200 price range work? I've tried finding used. If I found one, I don't have anyone to repair if broken. If you're looking for a newer receiver with phono input for $200 limit you could look at the Onkyo TX-8020. It can usually be found on sale for $170. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
distinctlydustin Posted December 11, 2014 Author Share Posted December 11, 2014 Thanks for all the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tardcore Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 if you keep an eye out, a lot of people have been able to find the entry level Marantz PM5004 integrated for around $200. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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