Help! Low turntable (with on-board pre-amp) volume

[Michael307747]

Hi - Please help me from spending/wasting more money. I have a this pioneer mini system https://www.richersounds.com/pioneer-xchm51-blk.html (wgoing into these speakers https://www.richersounds.com/mission-lx2-black.html with fairly decent cables/banana plugs. When playing my vinyl on this Lenco entry level turntable https://www.whathifi.com/lenco/l-85/review, I was happy with the overall sound but wanted to enjoy my vinyl more, so upgraded the turntable to this Teac https://www.richersounds.com/teac-tn350-matte-black.html in January (paying £249 against RRP £320 at time). There is a remarkable improvement in the clarity of sound but the volume has dropped. It seems that the built in phono stage on the L-85 has more oomph than the Teac, so I tried an external phono stage to see if that made any difference, but it didn't - no increase in volume and a tinnier/sharper overall sound. Before I go out and break the bank for a decent new amp with a decent phono pre-amp stage, does anyone have any ideas what the problem might be? I'm not an audiophile per se, but being happy with my sound is important to me. Thanks Michael

 

[Al ears]

Perhaps you have a duff turntable in that TEAC.
Any phono stage should boost cartridge signal to line level so there really should not be a big difference in volume levels.
It seems odd an external phono stage did the same, although you do not state what that phono stage was.
Quality control is always going to be an issue with cheap decks.
I would take it back to Richer Sounds.
As an afterthought have you tried it with the phono preamp switch on turntable in both positions?

 

[Michael307747]

Thanks for getting back to me so soon- I am thinking it's duff. The external pre-amp was a cheap behringer thing, but as you say I expected it to at least bring it up to line level, like the old Lenco deck. I have tried phono preamp switch in both positions. Will have another play around with the set up before sending it back - including plugging in the Lenco again. Cheers

 

[Deleted member 108165]

As Al says the phono stage should boost to line level but I have found with all my decks that the volume dial needs to be increased by almost an hour to bring it up to the same volume level as say, a CD player, any more than this increment and I would agree that something isn't right.

 

[Al ears]

As Al says the phono stage should boost to line level but I have found with all my decks that the volume dial needs to be increased by almost an hour to bring it up to the same volume level as say, a CD player, any more than this increment and I would agree that something isn't right.

That. I agree is normal, same with mine as quite a lot of CDPs output more than the normal (for a phono preamp) line level voltage, although 'normal' is misleading as there is no industry wide standard as to what this voltage actually is.

 

[Gray]

'normal' is misleading as there is no industry wide standard as to what this voltage actually is.

e.g. CA has chosen 4.4v for their DAC magic 200.

I wondered if it was some weird bundled cartridge that wasn't giving the Behringer preamp enough input. But on the TEAC it's the AT95E........unless it's the wiring???
OP shouldn't have to, so might not want to check. (Could be less hassle than returning though).

 

[Al ears]

e.g. CA has chosen 4.4v for their DAC magic 200.

I wondered if it was some weird bundled cartridge that wasn't giving the Behringer preamp enough input. But on the TEAC it's the AT95E........unless it's the wiring???
OP shouldn't have to, so might not want to check. (Could be less hassle than returning though).

Possible but I can't see it being a wiring issue because it works and he seems to have had no issues with the Lenco

 

[Deleted member 108165]

e.g. CA has chosen 4.4v for their DAC magic 200.

4.4 volts!!

 

[Gray]

Possible but I can't see it being a wiring issue because it works and he seems to have had no issues with the Lenco

There's no issue with the Lenco though is there? (apart from his desire to upgrade it).
It's just the TEAC being unusually quiet. If the AT95E is OK - and we could bet money on that, then what's left?....only really the cart/pre changeover switch on the TEAC......

 

[Gray]

4.4 volts!!

Apparently so.
(More than double that nominal 2v that CDPs and DACs used to stick to).

 

[Al ears]

Apparently so.
(More than double that nominal 2v that CDPs and DACs used to stick to).

You'd certainly have to turn the volume down when using that. 🙂

There's no issue with the Lenco though is there? (apart from his desire to upgrade it).
It's just the TEAC being unusually quiet. If the AT95E is OK - and we could bet money on that, then what's left?....only really the cart/pre changeover switch on the TEAC......

I don't think it can be that either as he has bypassed it by using the Behringer preamp, which gave the same low volume response. Something definately wrong with that deck

 

[Gray]

You'd certainly have to turn the volume down when using that. 🙂

I don't think it can be that either as he has bypassed it by using the Behringer preamp, which gave the same low volume response. Something definately wrong with that deck

Yes the TEAC output is low, apparently either cart out via Behringer, or from its own pre-out to the Pioneer line in. As you say, there's definitely some problem on that TEAC.