Connecting a turntable to an AVR 300

[George Logue]

In the process of dissolving my marriage I ended up with a collection of about 600 vynl albums, a turntable, some speakers, but no electronics, other than a PC, to play through. I picked up a Harman Kardon AVR 300 and have been trying to connect the turntable to it somehow.

My turntable is a Technics SL-D2, and I have an ION PROFILE LP turntable that my kids gave me as a gift for converting my vynl library to digital, (which is also a requirement of the courts for my divorce settlement).

I am using a NEXXTECH stereo pre-amp to connect the Technics to a PC for recording purposes. Works fine for creating CD's but those little PC speakers suck for listening quality.

I was hoping I could use the AVR 300 to get a slightly better quality sound for my listening pleasure but my attempts to connect have not worked out so well. I have been trying to use the TAPE inputs on the AVR but the sound is awful when I connect both jacks (red and white) from the pre-amp. If I only connect one, it sounds fine but only one-channel comes through.

Is there a way I can get this mash-up of equipment to deliver?

Thanks in advance for any help or direction I can get.

 

[markw]

Your receiver should have red/white RCA jack "aux" inputs on the back. You'll need those.

You can plug in that phono pre-amp into them or you can use the red/white audio jacks on the ION turntable as well. That has a built-in phono preamp. You may have to flip a switch on it. I don't have the manual so you may need to check that.

 

[TLS Guy]

In the process of dissolving my marriage I ended up with a collection of about 600 vynl albums, a turntable, some speakers, but no electronics, other than a PC, to play through. I picked up a Harman Kardon AVR 300 and have been trying to connect the turntable to it somehow.

My turntable is a Technics SL-D2, and I have an ION PROFILE LP turntable that my kids gave me as a gift for converting my vynl library to digital, (which is also a requirement of the courts for my divorce settlement).

I am using a NEXXTECH stereo pre-amp to connect the Technics to a PC for recording purposes. Works fine for creating CD's but those little PC speakers suck for listening quality.

I was hoping I could use the AVR 300 to get a slightly better quality sound for my listening pleasure but my attempts to connect have not worked out so well. I have been trying to use the TAPE inputs on the AVR but the sound is awful when I connect both jacks (red and white) from the pre-amp. If I only connect one, it sounds fine but only one-channel comes through.

Is there a way I can get this mash-up of equipment to deliver?

Thanks in advance for any help or direction I can get.

That is an older receiver but should do fine.

For a turntable you need a high gain RIAA equalized input. A tape input is useless.
If your receiver has such an input it will be labelled phono.

If you do not have a phono input then you need one of these phono preamps between your turntable and a line input on your AVR, like tape, CD or aux.

Then you will be good to go.

 

[TLS Guy]

Your receiver should have red/white RCA jack "aux" inputs on the back. You'll need those.

You can plug in that phono pre-amp into them or you can use the red/white audio jacks on the ION turntable as well. That has a built-in phono preamp. You may have to flip a switch on it. I don't have the manual so you may need to check that.

I can't seem to find details on that preamp. Do you know if it just has a USB output, or USB and Line. If it has a line out he is good to go.

 

[markw]

I do find reverences (via google) to nextech preamps with analog outputs. Not sure about his but it would not be logical to offer USB without analog.

The ION does, though.

 

[George Logue]

Thanks for the information. There are no phono or aux inputs on the AVR 300. The nexxtech preamp, (model 4202111), is just a wee thing with RCA jacks in and out. Nothing else. Do I understand correctly that the nexxtech preamp is no good for this receiver?

 

[George Logue]

There are no USB inputs on the receiver either.

 

[TLS Guy]

There are no USB inputs on the receiver either.

There must be some line level inputs, such as CD, the audio in for a VCR, and the tape input you mentioned is a line level input.

Your NEXXTECH preamp is battery powered only but will work. Just plug your turntable into the in RCA jacks and the out jacks into any of the inputs I mentioned.

I would get one of the preamps I linked you to. I think that NEXXTECH is most likely a misery.

 

[George Logue]

I tried the tape inputs. When I connected the first jack I got reasonable sound, one channel only. But when I connect the 2nd input the volume drops dramatically and I get a distorted sound in addition to the source sound.

I will put one of your recommendation on my shopping list and try again.

Thanks for your help.

 

[TLS Guy]

I tried the tape inputs. When I connected the first jack I got reasonable sound, one channel only. But when I connect the 2nd input the volume drops dramatically and I get a distorted sound in addition to the source sound.

I will put one of your recommendation on my shopping list and try again.

Thanks for your help.

Where you using the pre amp.

The volume should not drop no matter what when you connect the second channel.

I would not use the tape input as there are too many things to go wrong, like accidentally engaging the loop. Use a different line level input. There must be a bunch to choose form on the receiver.

 

[markw]

I think that little amp is fried.

 

[George Logue]

Yes, I was using the preamp.

It works fine when recording to the PC.

 

[TLS Guy]

Yes, I was using the preamp.

It works fine when recording to the PC.

Well you need a better phono preamp. There must be a severe impedance match to the AVR and drawing too high a current from your battery unit.

Anyone of the phono preamaps I listed will solve your problem.

 

[George Logue]

Thanks. I've got your list on my shopping list. As it happens, TigerDirect is going out of business here so maybe I can find one on sale.

 

[Adam]

Hi, George. Welcome to the forum! Why not use the RCA outputs on the ION turntable like Mark suggested? Does it not work as well as the Technics?

As the other guys mentioned, you can use any number of RCA analog inputs on the back of your AVR, such as the CD input jacks.

 

[markw]

Yes, I was using the preamp.

It works fine when recording to the PC.

Were you using the red/white analog outputs when recording to the PC? Hmmmmm?

Thanks for the information. There are no phono or aux inputs on the AVR 300. The nexxtech preamp, (model 4202111), is just a wee thing with RCA jacks in and out. Nothing else. Do I understand correctly that the nexxtech preamp is no good for this receiver?

Come to think of it, how did you use it to record to the PC if it didn't have a USB port?

 

[George Logue]

Adam. Will I need the preamp if I use the ION? Probably simple enough just to try it and find out.

Mark. I have a cable for the preamp that converts the RCA jacks to an aux cable to input to the PC sound card. When I connect to the AVR all the inputs are RCA so I use a cable that has RCA connectors on both ends.

 

[Adam]

Adam. Will I need the preamp if I use the ION? Probably simple enough just to try it and find out.

You won't need the preamp with the ION because it had one built in. I looked at the manual yesterday but don't have it in front of me right now. There might be a switch on the back to choose if you want to use the built-in preamp or not.

 

[George Logue]

Plugged the ION into the TAPE inputs and it works fine. Handy having 2 turntables. Thanks to everyone for the help and advice.