phono stage on amp??

[admin_exported]

hi,

my first post so bear with me.

interested in Nad C515 / Nad C315 cd player & amp. want a turntable as well but have read that amp needs a phono stage .

its been a long time since i had seperates & am not sure what this means. Is it that the turntable will not work if the amp omits a phono stage connection??

Ive had mini systems for the last 20 years , but now have the urge to replay my old LP's and so have no deck to play them on.

also whats best Nad or Cambridge , i'm torn between the two.

thanks for any advice in advance.

clive.

 

[SteveR750]

If an amp has a phono stage, it will have a phono connection at the rear to connect to a Turntable. If it doesn't then you will need to buy a separate phono preamp, which connects to your turntable and a spare line in on your amp (It might be marked AUX or Line In or similar). You could also connect a phono preamp to a tape in connection too. The other option is to buy a TT with a built in phone stage, such as some of the Project range of decks.

 

[survivor]

It`s more expense but the consolation is that a dedicated phono preamp should sound better than a built in phono stage in an integrated amp. Some people like to buy one for the improved sound even if they don`t technically need to.

 

[fatboyslimfast]

Basically, the phono stage amplifies the voltage by about 100 times to get it the same level as a line-source (say, CD or Tuner).

It also applies a tone filter, as what is actually recorded on the record isn't what you want to be hearing (loads of treble and virtually no bass).

If the amp has one, there will be a button marked "phono" and a corresponding set of sockets around the back, as has already been mentioned.

If not, you can get phono pre-amps from around £20 (Richer sounds start at that price) all the way up into the thousands.

For a turntable around a Rega P3, I would be looking at somewhere between £75 and £100 for a preamp.

If you have £90 to spend, the Cambridge 640p is a cracking phono amp - really good for the money and IMO better than the NAD. The 540p vs the NAD is a lot closer.

The Project is another worth a look at around £70, and if you want to record your vinyl to CD or MP3, they do one with a USB output as well for around £90.

 

[Anonymous]

thanx for quick replies- its clear i need to swat up, but i get the gist.

clive.