Any way to improve sound from cheap USB turntable?

[paddyb]

I've just been given an Ion Contour USB turntable. It has a built in pre amp, so no need for a phono stage, is super compact and fits perfectly on top of my Marantz CR603 mini system. Only one problem - it sounds appalling! Flat, slightly distorted, even the most compressed MP3's I've heard are better than this. Sounds the same when connected to my computer via USB, the Marantz has a USB input but didn't recognise it even in Direct Source mode.

Would putting it through another pre amp or some other device help?

 

[MajorFubar]

Don't think you can add a different pre-amp? It has a USB output to connect to a computer. Are the RCA outputs line level or phono level?

 

[paddyb]

Don't think you can add a different pre-amp? It has a USB output to connect to a computer. Are the RCA outputs line level or phono level?

Thanks for your reply. I'm not 100% sure what line level and phono level are? It only has two outputs, USB and the RCA outputs. Both seem to go through the pre amp as it does play (poorly) through my PC and mini system, neither of which have a phono stage.

 

[Frank Harvey]

A turntable's sound quality relies purely on engineering, so budget decks don't tend to be shining examples of the format. There's very little you can do to a turntable to improve it other than changing the arm and cartridge, which the former isn't really possible on a budget deck. Getting a better cartridge will be the only option, although it is debatable as to how much of a benefit that would be with a deck that is inherently low quality.

 

[paddyb]

I found this on sale for a similar model, though how "improved" it is is questionable:

http://www.lptunes.com/Improved-stylus-for-Ion-Contour-LP-turntable-p/ionscontourlp.htm

Also found this, which suggests another make of cartidge isn't going to work:

http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=87871

Unless anyone else has any bright ideas?

 

[MajorFubar]

Don't think you can add a different pre-amp? It has a USB output to connect to a computer. Are the RCA outputs line level or phono level?

Thanks for your reply. I'm not 100% sure what line level and phono level are? It only has two outputs, USB and the RCA outputs. Both seem to go through the pre amp as it does play (poorly) through my PC and mini system, neither of which have a phono stage.

Ah right ok, well if you're getting sound by plugging the phono outputs into your Marantz then they must be line level, in which case buying a separate phono pre-amp won't help unless you fancy hacking-about inside the turntable to re-route the output from the cartridge directly to the phono sockets and so bypass all the internal pre-amp circuitry. I would humbly suggest that would be wasted effort anyway.

 

[nopiano]

Would putting it through another pre amp or some other device help?

putting it through a crusher would improve it no end!

sorry, but these things are the pits and I cannot imagine why anyone would want to preserve the sound they produce. A used Pro ject with a built in preamp would be the minimum worth using.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pro-Ject-Debut-Phono-SB-Turntable-B-Stock-Silver-/390563216234?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_Turntables&hash=item5aef61bb6a

 

[paddyb]

I cannot imagine why anyone would want to preserve the sound they produce.

Well not me, i'm not risking playing any more of my vinyl on it. It reminds me of a toy wind up turntable my sister had when she about 6! Or flexidiscs, remember them?!!!!

I was only asking on the off chance there was a work around as it was a (second hand) gift.

Plan B then is, I have one of these:

http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/a-little-help-needed-with-a-dual-505-turntable

Like the OP in the thread, it was my dad's (I used it a fair bit as a teenager) and hasn't been used in 20 years or more, but its good to know its at least worth spending some time seeing if I can get it working satisfactorily. The only problem is I haven't got room for it, I like the compactness of these modern turntables.

 

[MajorFubar]

If you want a compact turntable that sounds half presentable you could do worse than hunt-down something like a Technics SL3, 5,6 or 10 from the 80s. Barely larger than an LP jacket they were linear-trackers that had decent sound to boot. Top-of-the-range SL-10 still demands strong money, but the trouble is you can't be sure just how much they've been hammered after nearly 30 years.