[RawB8figure]

Not to educated with vinyl. So I hooked up a Sony PSLX250H to a pioneer 1016 HT reciever. It doesn't sound that good. I 'am using the phono preamp that is in the turntable. I plan on hooking up to Rotel stereo reciever later which has its on phono pre amp. What can I do to make the turn table sound better? Why causes it to sound bad now.

Thanks

[Toka]

When you say 'doesn't sound that good', what do you mean exactly? And what cartridge are you using?

EDIT: I just looked up your TT and it appears to have a built-in preamp...if you are plugging it into a 'phono' input on your receiver, you want to make sure the built-in preamp is OFF...otherwise you may be overloading the input.

[RawB8figure]

it is the stock sony cartridge and the reciever I'am using doesn't have a phono preamp. I am using the one built into the turn table. Well it sounds like an AM radio. What are things I can do to improve the sound. I will be hooking this up to a rotel stereo reciever which has a built in phono preamp. Will that make it sound better. I know its a cheap turntable, but I'am looking for thing to make it sound a bit better.

[WEEZ]

re-read Toka's post.

If your turntable has a built in phono preamp DON'T connect it to a phono input...use a spare input on your receiver. It might sound better on the Rotel than the Pioneer...but I doubt it.

[RawB8figure]

The pioneer reciever does not have a phono preamp.. I'am using the one on the turntable..

[RawB8figure]

what can be done to make it soud better. is there anything I can change on it or would a different phono preamp work better and not use the one on the 80$ sony be better.

thanks,

[TheChairGuy]

If it tracks without skipping and it sounds lousy...it';s most likely the cheap preamp you're using.  The Rotel should improve things.

After that, there is much you can do to your TT to improve it...without fearsome cost at all 

Do you have it on a solid surface?  Have you correct set up the arm for tracking force & azimuth (cartridge side-to-side)?  If you have these two parameters right, its either your preamp (likely) or your deck itself needs tweeking.   

Look thru the Vinyl Circle here on AudioCirlce - there is a wealth of information on tweeks to pour thru. 

[Toka]

Try it on the Rotel...if it sounds better, we can safely assume the problem was the built-in preamp...if it still sounds bad (and it shouldn't sound like AM radio), I'd start looking at the cartridge (did you install it yourself, or was it pre-installed? Correct tracking force?).

[RawB8figure]

basicly all I did was pull it out of the box and pulled the protective tab off the needle. Don't know how to adjust the tracking or anything.

[Toka]

Double-check the manual and go through the setup procedure again...maybe something was missed.

[TheChairGuy]

basicly all I did was pull it out of the box and pulled the protective tab off the needle. Don't know how to adjust the tracking or anything.

If it was a plug in and play model, complete with needle (a 'P' type mount, likely)already attached...it should be correctly positioned at factory already. That's good, as it leaves the phono preamp as the likely culprit why it sound awful.

Make sure you don't have it on any (obvious) vibrating surface.  Those vibrations are horrible for turntable performance.

If it's a belt drive and you have a bubble level, making sure the TT is level (bubble level positioned nearest to the spindle on the platter best) will pay off a little dividend, too.

Your problem isn't insurmountable - it may only seem that way right now  aa