andrewlucas Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Any suggestions for a good pre-amp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chubbler108 Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Pro-Ject Tube Box II. It is expensive, but my $40 ART preamp I had before this one broke 4 times, and made me think vinyl sounded like garbage and I wanted to return my turntable and never buy a record again. I highly support the Tube Box II. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tankerdesk Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Give us a $ range so we give you recommendations within your budget. I have the Cambridge 640p, it was about $180 at amazon. I really like it. I've heard good things about the Pro-ject mentioned above (I think they run about $400-450). I've also heard good things about the Jolida JD9 (run about $500). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewlucas Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 Well cheaper is always better budget wise, but it's kind of a waste to buy something I'll just need to replace. I want something that's gonna sound awesome for probably around $200. My turntable has a ground wire, not sure if I can hook that up or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannibal Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 V-LPS or Parasound Zphono. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewlucas Posted August 3, 2012 Author Share Posted August 3, 2012 Does anyone else agree with those suggestions, I don't wanna make my purchase based off one suggestion. Also any input on a good cartridge? This is my first real set up so I wanna do it right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearchuck Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 Yeah, everything mentioned so far has been legit. If you're sticking to the $200 range, then you should probably focus on the 640, V-LPS or Zphono. All are well-regarded. Without double-checking, I'm pretty sure that those are both MM and MC compatible, which is a nice feature if you ever decide to move to a moving coil cartridge. If you're feeling adventurous, there's also the Hagerman Bugle: http://www.hagtech.com/bugle.html You can build one yourself for around $100. You can also buy it fully assembled and tested for $189. However, if you do that, I don't think that it comes in an enclosure, so you'd still have to do that yourself. Another thing is that it runs on batteries, which means very low noise (which is good) but if you listen to a lot of vinyl, you'll be changing those batteries often. Hagerman has a power source you can build. I know almost nothing about electronics but I managed to build both the Bugle and the power source myself ... although I did have some guidance from knowledgeable friends. You're probably not looking to tackle something that requires so much work, but I can attest to the fact that the Bugle is a extremely nice-sounding preamp for the money. Occasionally a prebuilt units with power source come up eBay or Craigslist for very affordable prices. It's definitely worth considering if you ever see one available. As for carts, again, it depends on your budget, as well as the turntable / tonearm you're using. Under $100 you'll find some good entry-level choices. Up the budget to $200 - $300 and the door opens even wider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannibal Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 Don't worry about AC noise at this level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewlucas Posted August 5, 2012 Author Share Posted August 5, 2012 I have a technics sl-dd33, the cartridge on it right now is a realistic rx1500. I have no idea if that's even good. I can take a picture of the turntable if it will help. Does the ground wire have to be hooked up? If it does then is it able to be hooked up to any of the amps suggested? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearchuck Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 Don't worry about AC noise at this level. Oh yeah, for sure. I pretty much mentioned the battery thing just to make the OP aware of it ... and also because it can be a pain to change them out every 10 - 12 hours of playing time. I will say that I've heard some noisy wall warts in my time though. However, the Hagerman power source is really clean and most claim that it gives the Bugle more headroom vs 9V batteries, which I tend to agree with. I digress. To the OP - the sl-dd33 is a decent starter table, but I wouldn't go crazy spending money on all this other stuff and expect major upgrades in fidelity. I mean, the preamps mentioned here are good and I'm not suggesting that opt out of buying one ... only that you strongly consider upgrading the TT in the future as well. Also, looks like you're going to need a p-mount cartridge for that tonearm. That's going to limit you a bit, but there are still decent choices. And yes, all these preamps are going to have ground screws. You'll be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewlucas Posted August 5, 2012 Author Share Posted August 5, 2012 Oh yeah, for sure. I pretty much mentioned the battery thing just to make the OP aware of it ... and also because it can be a pain to change them out every 10 - 12 hours of playing time. I will say that I've heard some noisy wall warts in my time though. However, the Hagerman power source is really clean and most claim that it gives the Bugle more headroom vs 9V batteries, which I tend to agree with. I digress. To the OP - the sl-dd33 is a decent starter table, but I wouldn't go crazy spending money on all this other stuff and expect major upgrades in fidelity. I mean, the preamps mentioned here are good and I'm not suggesting that opt out of buying one ... only that you strongly consider upgrading the TT in the future as well. Also, looks like you're going to need a p-mount cartridge for that tonearm. That's going to limit you a bit, but there are still decent choices. And yes, all these preamps are going to have ground screws. You'll be fine. Thanks so much. You guys have been very helpful. I do plan on upgrading in the future, I just couldn't go without a table any longer so I went for it. I was using a Crosley keepsake until everyone said they can ruin my vinyl. I do wanna buy a good pre amp though so that when I buy a better table I'll already have a good setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danny Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 kind of a dumb question but if i just want more volume and my amp, TT and speakers sound amazing (IMO) will a cheap pre amp do it or will it turn my setup into shit? I think my amp is just low watts per channel..but it sounds great to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinch Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Well different pre-amps have different gain factors, but expect the difference to be marginal. Might be a good idea to look into replacing your amp within the same range, but with one with a bit more juice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danny Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Makes sense. I am just so happy with the sound I am worried if I change the amp it might lose that. I also approve test pressings so it's good to know how the album should sound. Now to the amp suggestion thread haha. Thx! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearchuck Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Makes sense. I am just so happy with the sound I am worried if I change the amp it might lose that. I also approve test pressings so it's good to know how the album should sound. Now to the amp suggestion thread haha. Thx! If you're happy with your setup and think that it sounds fabulous, why change anything? Is it simply the volume aspect? In that case, what Slinch said ... look to upgrade your amp ... and maybe get more efficient speakers too. What equipment do you have anyway? It might be easier for us to make a suggestion if we knew that information. Anyway, volume is overrated. I'd much rather have equipment that sounds nice rather than loud. Of course, there are ways to do both. Going back to your original question, most likely a good standalone preamp is going to make your stuff sound even better. In my opinion even a decent preamp like the ones mentioned previously in this thread will best the built-in phono stages in most low-to-mid-fi amps and receivers. Again, I have no idea what you have, so take what I just said with a grain of salt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewlucas Posted September 11, 2012 Author Share Posted September 11, 2012 I don't have a ton of money since I'm saving up for a wedding so I went the cheaper route. I bought an "open item" Sony receiver from best buy. Retail price was $499 marked down to $233 but the guy hooked me up sick. $179. Now I just need speakers. My new question is, will this route still get me a good quality sound? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajxd Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Cheaper routes = cheaper sounds. If it sounds good to you, that's all that matters brosky. You can always buy better equipment. Even if you buy a $10,000 speakers, there's always $20,000 speakers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewlucas Posted September 12, 2012 Author Share Posted September 12, 2012 Cheaper routes = cheaper sounds. If it sounds good to you, that's all that matters brosky. You can always buy better equipment. Even if you buy a $10,000 speakers, there's always $20,000 speakers... True. I wanna try for Bose speakers. But anything is better than what I'm listening to my records on now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajxd Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 No to Bose. No no no no no no no no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearchuck Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 True. I wanna try for Bose speakers. But anything is better than what I'm listening to my records on now. To echo others, Bose = NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! There are pretty much two paths to upgrade. You can either spend some serious coin on nice, new equipment - or even some quality restored high-end vintage stuff - or you can set a budget go for the best performing gear at your price point. For the latter path, used / vintage gives you the biggest bang for your buck, but it always comes with some risk because you're never quite sure how the equipment was treated by the previous owner. Whichever route you choose, do your research. Posting in this forum is a start, but there's only so much that people like me, ajxd, kannibal and slinch can help you with, especially if we don't have any personal experience with whatever gear about which you're inquiring. Sure, we can tell you that Brand X has a good reputation and we've seen good reviews, but you should probably take whatever we say with a grain of salt. If you're serious about a particular preamp, turntable, amp, etc etc, then do a search on forum like Audiokarma, Vinyl Engine, Audiogon, Steve Hoffman or Audio Asylum. Obviously the most important thing is that you have fun with it, but if you're serious about upgrading and you want to learn more, then you're going to have to do some research on your own. We'll try to point you in the right direction, but google is a wonderful, wonderful tool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajxd Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 No highs, no lows. Must be Bose! kirtah777 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajxd Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Bose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewlucas Posted September 13, 2012 Author Share Posted September 13, 2012 So what does the ground wire do? I hooked up the table to the receiver and just plugged in headphones but it was super quiet and fuzzy. Does that ground wire affect that? It came out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chubbler108 Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 It sounds like there is no preamp connected. The preamp will boost the signal to a line level signal, which is something that you will be able to hear. Also, the preamp will apply the RIAA equalization curve to your records. Due to low end coming from wider grooves, and high end coming from thinner grooves, vinyl records do not sound proper on their own. They need a standard equalization curve applied to them, which is done in a phono preamp. The ground wire is designed to release any static buildup created from the stylus dragging across the record. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewlucas Posted September 18, 2012 Author Share Posted September 18, 2012 Yeah, you're right. The receiver I bought doesn't have a phono pre amp. :/ I'll have to save up a little more money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.