Phono Overview

 “Affordable” Phono Preamplifier Review

I always find it tough to start a new audio equipment review, partially because i find writing hard and partially because there is such a broad spectrum of needs, desires, and knowledge in this hobby.

So… Bear with me, i'm going to try to make this particular review work for everyone, if a section is too rudimentary or doesn’t apply to you, skip it (or read it anyway, since i took the time to write it). 

What’s needed to play a record? 

In general, every two channel audio system requires a pair of speakers, an amplifier, a preamplifier, an audio source, and a bunch of wire to connect it all together. 

Yea, i know, it sounds like a lot of stuff, but not to worry... There are plenty of products (such as the Sonos Amp, Bluesound PowerNode 2i, and Amazon Echo Link Amp) that house everything you need, with the exception of speakers, to listen to music via your favorite streaming service, in one small box. 

Playing records (aka vinyl or LP’s, never vinyls) requires a record player, which is a source component. That part is probably pretty obvious to most of you…  The main parts of a record player are the turntable, tone arm, and cartridge.  It’s worth noting here that some record players come with a cartridge (the needle or stylus is part of a cartridge), and others do not, so if you are in the market for a record player - it’s something to be aware of. 

The catch with playing records is that the signal coming from your record player, or rather the cartridge, is really really small, too small for a standard preamplifier to handle. In addition, for various reasons, equalization has been applied to the audio recorded onto the record - most commonly (since the mid to late 1950’s) in accordance with the Recording Industry of America Association (RIAA) equalization curve - which must be reversed for the record to sound good. 

To further complicate things, there are several types of phono cartridge, each with distinct electrical requirements. The three types of cartridge are Moving Magnet (MM), Moving Iron, and Moving Coil (MC)... But for our purposes only MM and MC really matter. 

To solve these problems a phono preamplifier (aka RIAA stage) is required. Prior to CD’s all but killing off records in the 90’s it was common for a preamplifier, integrated amplifier, or receiver to include a MM phono preamplifier, these days it’s hit or miss, though they are once again becoming more common as record sales continue to climb. 

How to choose a phono preamplifier?

The first step in choosing a phono preamplifier is to identify the requirements of your selected cartridge. 

The requirements of most MM cartridges are pretty straightforward, 47K Ohms loading and ~40-60 decibels (db) of gain. For this reason it’s not uncommon for MM phono preamps to be plug and play. 

The requirements of MC cartridges can be a bit more challenging. MC cartridges can be classified low output, generally with an output of <= 0.3mv, or high output, generally with an output of >= 2mv. Some high output MC cartridges can work okay with a MM phono preamp, but their low output brethren will need significantly more gain, typically in the 50-70db range, and 100-1K Ohms loading (though it's not uncommon for people to use 47k with low output MC cartridges as well). 

I will add that capacitance is also a thing with phono cartridges/preamps, but it is less critical than loading and gain, and talking about it opens up a whole new can of worms that includes things like cables… And let’s face it, no one really likes talking about cables except for cable salespeople. 

The next step for most people is to paint a picture for yourself of what cartridge you are likely to get next. I say “for most people” here because, for example, there will be those who choose to mix tube and solid state gear, and those people may also need to make sure there aren't any component impedance matching issues. 

This is probably a good time to remind readers that while this is a hobby, and trial and error can be fun and yield interesting results… Physics and electrical engineering are real things. 

How much to spend on a phono stage?

Lets try a real example: the pro-ject debut carbon evo record player retails for $500, which includes the $150 MM sumiko rainier phono cartridge… So you are effectively getting a $350 turntable and a $150 MM cartridge. 

With this setup I would recommend focusing on phono preamps in the $100-$300 range, heavily dependent on how serious you are about “getting into” vinyl of course. 

In my opinion, and you know what they say about opinions, similar ratios apply until you approach phono preamps costing on the order of $2K or so. 

With that said, there are some very high value products built by some very innovative companies with relatively low margins, so price isn't always a great guide. For example, in my most used turntable rig, my goto setup for the last few years has been a cartridge that retails for over $1100 with a phono preamp that can be had for around $600. 

Off the shelf or kit? 

Have you seen that movie about Steve Jobs? You know, the one that highlights how people would get together in computer clubs and design/build compute devices (aka computers) for fun? Well, that sort of thing wasn’t unique to computers, in fact, that’s what home audio was like as recently as the 1970’s… Some of us still do it. 

For those who enjoy the hands on hobbyist aspect of home audio but don't have time/skill/confidence to design their own gear… There is a thriving kit industry. And with all the time most of us have been spending at home during the COVID era, a kit could be a great way to develop a new skill while building something useful. 

With that said, unless you are particularly good with a soldering iron and have access to the right test equipment, it’s unlikely your kit build is going to outperform the high value options we are reviewing here, and a sensitive phono preamp is probably not the best place to start. 

The Other Stuff:

I often hear from people who blow their entire budget on a turntable/tonearm, phono stage, and cartridge… And are then surprised by all the other costs associated with this whole record thing. 

For starters, most new albums are in the $20-$35 range, though if you happen to have a record store nearby, used records can often be found for less than $5 each. 

Unlike streaming media, records also take up space, so storage can be an issue. Milk crates can work in a pinch and the ikea kallax shelving unit is a popular and affordable option. 

Another important piece of furniture is the stand you place the record player on. Because record players are sensitive to vibration, it’s important to place it on something sturdy. 

Then there is the issue of keeping records and stylus clean. Tools like anti-static brushes, anti-static guns, record washers, record cleaning fluid, and moon gel are just a few examples. 

Finally, the stylus is a wear item, kind of like tires on a car, sooner or later you will need to replace it. Most manufacturers recommend changing it every 1000-3000 hours of play time, which works out to about 1500-4500 records, and that assumes nothing bad happens along the way - for example, i once lost a stylus to a family member trying to help dust. I will note that some cartridges have user replaceable needles, others must be sent to a specialist such as sound-smith in NY for replacement.

Active Listening:

These days it's really easy to listen to almost anything you want. Subscribe to Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, Soundcloud, Tidal, Amazon Music, Deezer, Qobuz, Nugs, Groovers (the list goes on-and-on)... and stream what you want when you want it.

To me, the biggest downside to streaming is that listening to music has become far less intentional. For the most part, people don't sit down and listen to an album anymore, they pop-on a digital mix of some sort - and either let it play in the background or skip around from song-to-song and artist-to-artist, often not letting an entire song play through - let alone an entire album.

With records there is ritual involved. We stand up, select the media, clean it, place it in on the record player, and generally listen from start to finish. We then stand up and do it all again.

Records encourage us to listen to the songs in the order the artist (or producer) intended. In a pre-COVID world, and as it becomes less of a risk, perhaps we sit with friends and family to listen together, maybe we even discuss the music afterwards. 

In short, listening to records is an activity, and a damn rewarding one at that.