I currently have a Technics 1210 Turntable + Denon DL 110 Moving Coil Cartridge, connected to my Onkyo 875.I don't use a phono stage / pre-amp at the moment, I just turn the volume up on the amp.I am awaiting delivery of 2 Sonos Connects - one for my lounge and one for my bedroom where I have an Audio Anologue stereo amp and Quad 12L2 speakers, and a Sonos Play 5 for the kitchen.The connects have a line level input that will stream multi-room whatever is connected to it.If I were to do this for my turntable, what phono stage would you suggest? budget is circa £200 at the very most.In the past I had considered the Clearaudio Nano.All advice welcome
Multi-room Vinyl?
- Thread starter tommyb
- Start date
If you plug a step-up transformer between your TT and your amp, can you not take a line-out from the amp into an input on the Sonos?
That seemsm like an excellent suggestion. I have a 'tape out' at the back of my amp whish is obviously designed for recording... Surely I could use that?
*Stupid question warning* - is a step up transformer the same as a phono stage / phono amp?
*Stupid question warning* - is a step up transformer the same as a phono stage / phono amp?
nopiano
Well-known member
A turntable and cartridge doesn't just need a bit more volume. Records are made with "no bass" and boosted treble, otherwise the grooves would be too wide (and unplayable). It is often known as the RIAA curve (Google it if unfamiliar!)
I was going to say that you need a proper phono preamp, though not a MC version as your Denon is a higher output type. MC transformers exist, but probably not suitable for your cartridge.
But I checked your spec sheet and it actually has phono inputs apparently. But it will be a bit less loud than a bluray or DVD source.
http://www.uk.onkyo.com/downloads/1/1/7/1/8/21509152_3705cb6051.pdf
See page 12, number 3.
I was going to say that you need a proper phono preamp, though not a MC version as your Denon is a higher output type. MC transformers exist, but probably not suitable for your cartridge.
But I checked your spec sheet and it actually has phono inputs apparently. But it will be a bit less loud than a bluray or DVD source.
http://www.uk.onkyo.com/downloads/1/1/7/1/8/21509152_3705cb6051.pdf
See page 12, number 3.
Is the DL110 definitely high output? OP says that at the moment he's compensating for its low level by increasing the volume control, which would indicate it's a low level MC.
I'm making an assumption that he's already using the Phono input and not a line input....
I'm making an assumption that he's already using the Phono input and not a line input....
scene
Well-known member
I have my Pro-Ject plugged into my A85 and a lineout from that to (one of) my Sonos Connect(s) to get multi-room vinyl and it all works really well, but as has been said you do need to have a phono pre-amp. I have the phono amp module on the A85 - without it it's not really going to work very well.
If your amp has phono inputs, then this should be catered for. According to your amp manual:
"If your turntable has a moving coil (MC) type cartridge, you’ll need a commercially available MC head amp or MC transformer. Connect your turntable to the head amp or transformer, and connect that to the AV receiver’s PHONO IN L/R jacks.
"You can also use a phono equalizer to connect a turntable with an MC-type cartridge. See your phono equalizer’s manual for details."
If your amp has phono inputs, then this should be catered for. According to your amp manual:
"If your turntable has a moving coil (MC) type cartridge, you’ll need a commercially available MC head amp or MC transformer. Connect your turntable to the head amp or transformer, and connect that to the AV receiver’s PHONO IN L/R jacks.
"You can also use a phono equalizer to connect a turntable with an MC-type cartridge. See your phono equalizer’s manual for details."
nopiano
Well-known member
MajorFubar said:
Hi MF, well I looked it up, and it is described that way. Even hi output MCs tend to be lower output than a typical MM though. E.g. 1.4mV -v- 5mV, so needs a bit more on the volume knob!
True I suppose. I used a high-output MC for a while - Ortofon MC-3 Turbo - and I never found it much quieter than a MM. I guess it's going to vary from cart to cart though.
Hi Guys, thanks very much for the input I really appreciate it 
I went into the settings of my 875 and increased the intellivolume for the phono input to 12db. This has made a huge difference for vinyl listening. Quite why I didn't do this a while ago is beyond me lol
I do suspect however that this gain is not 'imposed' in the output via the tape so the level being output might be too low.
I have been told that the the phono stage in the 875 is actually pretty good for an amp, especially an AV amp, and that it's at least on a par, if not better than the budget ones out there, and that If i wanted to see a 'marked' improvement in sound then I would need to invest a lot more than that 'budget' phono stages.
I'm going to get my Sonos today so will post back once I have tried the various permutations.
You already have multi-room vinyl? do you find there's any 'delay' between your main amp and the other rooms / connects? I'm thinking that I will probably need to use puraudio setting so no processing is applied to the phono input which might create a delay if that makes sense?
I went into the settings of my 875 and increased the intellivolume for the phono input to 12db. This has made a huge difference for vinyl listening. Quite why I didn't do this a while ago is beyond me lol
I do suspect however that this gain is not 'imposed' in the output via the tape so the level being output might be too low.
I have been told that the the phono stage in the 875 is actually pretty good for an amp, especially an AV amp, and that it's at least on a par, if not better than the budget ones out there, and that If i wanted to see a 'marked' improvement in sound then I would need to invest a lot more than that 'budget' phono stages.
I'm going to get my Sonos today so will post back once I have tried the various permutations.
You already have multi-room vinyl? do you find there's any 'delay' between your main amp and the other rooms / connects? I'm thinking that I will probably need to use puraudio setting so no processing is applied to the phono input which might create a delay if that makes sense?
I have multiroom everything (audio not picture). But I went a completely different 'out of the box' route, as I am often prone to do, and bought an FM transmitter.
It didn't cost much (£15 I think). It's designed to transmit iPods and MP3 players to a car radio. I hacked it about with a soldering iron so I could power it from a mains adapter (which cost me a further £1.25) and plugged it into a pair of my amp's Tape Outs. Any FM radio within about 25 meters can pick up whatever's on the HiFi, and no delay obviously. I can listen to my music in any room from my bedroom to my garage and everywhere inbetween, with no need for expensive digital hardware, and SQ is pefectly good enough (and it's stereo).
Sometimes the simple cheap solutions which do the job adequately just get overlooked.
It didn't cost much (£15 I think). It's designed to transmit iPods and MP3 players to a car radio. I hacked it about with a soldering iron so I could power it from a mains adapter (which cost me a further £1.25) and plugged it into a pair of my amp's Tape Outs. Any FM radio within about 25 meters can pick up whatever's on the HiFi, and no delay obviously. I can listen to my music in any room from my bedroom to my garage and everywhere inbetween, with no need for expensive digital hardware, and SQ is pefectly good enough (and it's stereo).
Sometimes the simple cheap solutions which do the job adequately just get overlooked.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram