Help finding phono preamp to use with passive preamp w/o phono stage

Airborn · « **Reply #20 on:** 15 Jan 2008, 07:55 am »

I used to run a Cambridge Audio 640P with a Dual 601 belt drive TT and a Shure V15 Type III cartridge with very good results.

I don't use the Cambridge Audio any more, but imo, you should spend the extra few bucks for the 640P over the 540P because of the better specs.

slow_down · « **Reply #21 on:** 15 Jan 2008, 07:39 pm »

Quote from: Airborn on 15 Jan 2008, 07:55 am

I used to run a Cambridge Audio 640P with a Dual 601 belt drive TT and a Shure V15 Type III cartridge with very good results. I don't use the Cambridge Audio any more, but imo, you should spend the extra few bucks for the 640P over the 540P because of the better specs.

Thanks for the feedback. It really isn't that much more expensive and sounds like it's worth it I guess.

slow_down · « **Reply #22 on:** 16 Jan 2008, 03:13 pm »

What about this one?

http://www.kabusa.com/frameset.htm?/index.htm

Music Hall MMF Phono Pak - it has 53db of gain for MM, which is quite a bit more than most other phono preamps in its price range.

royphil345 · « **Reply #23 on:** 17 Jan 2008, 05:32 am »

The Music Hall MMF Phono Pak has 32dB for MM, the 53dB is for moving coil with a 100 ohm load. The Cambridge 640-P has 39dB for MM. The Pro-Ject Phono Box MKII has 40dB for a little less money. http://decibelchicago.stores.yahoo.net/phone-preamplifiers.html

I'm still not sure if any of these will give you great volume with a passive pre. I'd probably try the 640-P... or the Pro-Ject if I needed to spend a little less. If it doesn't work out, you'll have to look at an active preamp or something like the Jolida phono stage (up to 70dB MM, 95dB moving coil using the more powerful output jacks designed for passive preamps). You could try something like this if you have problems with gain... http://www.amazon.com/Gemini-PA-7000-Preamplifier/dp/B0000C8CFU Might hold you over until you can afford a better solution. Thing even has a phono input.

Good luck!!! Congrats on the Ariston!!! Are you sure the stylus is good on the Shure? Don't be carving up your records...

slow_down · « **Reply #24 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 03:38 am »

After all the great recommendations and substantive technical advice, I ended up getting a preamp that has a very "meh" kinda reputation - a NAD PP-2. I'll tell you the reason I did it though. I brought my newly acquired Ariston RD-11s into a local store here in Chicago called Saturday Audio Exchange because I needed some help getting it set up and also needed a new cartridge - got a Grado Green - which I had no idea how to mount. The salesman spent almost ninety minutes installing my cartridge, fixing a completely jammed counterweight, and basically getting my turntable to work right. And the whole thing cost me about $4 more than if I had ordered it over the internet. Looking back at the work they did, I see it wasn't rocket science, but it would have taken me like ten times as long, I would have had to buy some extra tools, and would have stressed a lot about screwing things up, especially the tonearm counterweight knob. So I was very, very glad to have their help.

So long story short, I just really wanted to buy my preamp from them. I ended up with the NAD because it was the only viable contender in my budget that they had in stock. I know that for a little more $ over the internet I could have gotten something with a lot more bang for the buck, but hell, at the level of my cartridge and overall system, I sincerely doubt I'd notice the difference too much. Just bought some new and used vinyl over the weekend, including the 30th anniversary Dark Side of the Moon, and I'm a pretty happy camper.

Oh, and as far as levels go - I pretty much need to turn my volume up to about 1:00 to 2:00 to get it comfortably loud, but as far as I can tell, there's no negative effect on the quality, so that worked out fine!

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #25 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 03:48 am »

Good going....and a man with a conscience to support his friendly local dealer to boot

Way to go and Enjoy - John

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #26 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 06:19 am »

I may be out of my depth here but what about one of those battery powered step up devices with enough gain, of course.

royphil345 · « **Reply #27 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 05:40 pm »

Glad it's working out!!!

I had a NAD PP-2 for awhile. It's not too bad. A power supply with more amperage really opens up the sound of that one. Less voltage drop when more power is drawn from the power supply during dynamic passages. A regulated power supply between 500mA and 1 amp even better...

I've seen larger power supplies for the PP-2 being sold, but the prices are high. You can find one with the proper voltage and higher amp rating on eBay or on an electronic parts site, but probably not with the right plug. I ended up splicing / soldering the plug from the original power supply onto the new one and putting some heat-shrink tubing over the splices. You have to make 100% sure the polarity is right or the PP-2 will be damaged. Think I found mine under printer parts on eBay. I forget what the voltage was (14 volts maybe?), but I remember it was kind of rare and more likely to be used for powering a printer than anything else...