New Amp not working with turntable

[moot88]

Hey, so my local audiophile store is letting me borrow a Glow Audio amp 1, here's a link:

but it wont work with my turntable set up. I can plug my iPod into it and works great, gets super loud and sounds awesome, but if i hook it up to my Vestax pdx 2000 it doesnt get loud at all. i can't figure out why not. I know the turntable works, if i plug it into my old amp it works just fine. whats not working? where have i gone wrong? I appreciate all the help i can get.

here's a link to an info page about the turntable i'm using, i know its supposed to be for djing, but i got it for really cheap of craigslist.

ok i had to take out the links cause this is only like my second post, but i'm sure you all know how to use google

 

[Adam]

Hi. If I Googled correctly , then I think I know the issue. It looks like that turntable doesn't have an internal pre-amp, so it has a relatively very low signal compared to your iPod. The amp doesn't have a PHONO input, so it won't boost the turntable signal appropriately. If that's the case, then the result would be that the sound would be very low from the turntable.

Does your old amp have a PHONO input?

 

[moot88]

yeah my old one does, so you're saying, in order for me to use this turntable with this amp i need a preamp as well? do most turntables come with preamps in them already?

 

[Adam]

yeah my old one does, so you're saying, in order for me to use this turntable with this amp i need a preamp as well? do most turntables come with preamps in them already?

If I described your equipment correctly, then you'll need a preamp to use those two together. If your old amp has a line out, then you could use it as a preamp.

I haven't shopped for a turntable in a while, but I know that some have internal preamps and some don't.

 

[moot88]

ooh interesting. i'll try using my old amp as a preamp. so, the old amp has a phono input, a tape input, and a video input. It only has a tape out put. how could i use it as a preamp? like, turntable to tape in, then tape out to amp? let me know. thanks for all your help btw. i really appreciate it.

 

[Adam]

Always happy to help if I can!

I believe this will work:
- Turntable to PHONO input on old amp
- TAPE OUT from old amp to an input on the new amp

The old amp will need to be on, and (unless you have a separate selector for the tape output) set to the phono input.

You could also use a headphone jack on the old amp if it has one, instead of the tape out. I prefer the tape out because then the signal isn't dependent on the volume setting on the old amp.

 

[TLS Guy]

The vast majority of turntables do not have built in pre amps.

Phono cartridges produce an output of around 3 to 5 mv. Your ipod will produce between 100 mv and a volt.

Not only that but line level inputs are flat. A cartridge does not have a flat output, but has a skewed frequency response that conforms to the RIAA curve. This curve has a rising output with frequency. So a phono input must not only have higher gain than a line level input, but must have a frequency response the inverse of the RIAA curve.

If you had to use the phono input on your previous set up, then I can tell you fir certain that your turntable does not have a preamp.

So you need one of these.

In your situation, I would strongly recommend the Audio Technica on sale for $43.99.

 

[moot88]

awesome it works! thank you so much. so.....will me using this old crappy amp as a preamp have drastic effects on the sound quality? what would be a good preamp to get?

 

[Adam]

Excellent - glad that it worked!

TLS recommended the Audio Technica AT-PEQ3, perhaps because it's on sale (he'd have to say why).

I don't know if it would sound any better than your current set-up. My question would be - do you like how your system sounds?

 

[TLS Guy]

Excellent - glad that it worked!

TLS recommended the Audio Technica AT-PEQ3, perhaps because it's on sale (he'd have to say why).

I don't know if it would sound any better than your current set-up. My question would be - do you like how your system sounds?

Having a complete amp just for phone Eq is not handy.

For forty odd bucks, the Audio Technica is much more handy and convenient.

That preamp is the best bang for the buck in phono preamps, and that excellent sale price makes the deal even better.

 

[moot88]

great guys, thanks for all your help! i really appreciate it.

 

[3db]

ProJect also makes some very good phono pre-amps

http://www.project-audio.com/main.php?list=boxes&cat=boxes&lang=en

 

[moot88]

great guys, i really appreciate it. So now this is going to be my whole set up, let me know what you think: It'll be a technics SL-Q3 (free from my uncles garage) to a preamp, not sure which one yet, to the Glow Audio amp1, to a set of BA A-40 series II speakers. any recommendations or ideas about this set up?