
At the top end, you genuinely could end up spending thousands – the Aesthetix Io Eclipse, a long-standing tube-based heavy hitter in the preamp game, is still retailing at upwards of $15,000.ĭon’t fret, though, as there are plenty of gems to be found across the price spectrum, and it’s important that you settle for something that complements your setup and aims as a vinyl collector. In this arena, manufacturers like Rega, Pro-Ject and Cambridge Audio all have affordable models on their books. For something that sounds good and has decent build quality then you will most likely be looking to start around the £100 mark, although there are several budget options that will do the trick without causing too much in the way of disappointment. How much is one of these things going to cost? Well, as with so many pieces of hi-fi equipment you get what you pay for. Now we're getting down into the nitty gritty.

Some cover both bases, but make sure to be cognisant of the difference and ensure you’re matching the correct preamp to your turntable. Keep size and space requirements front and foremost when making your choice.Īlso, be aware that preamps are designed to work with two different cartridge types: moving magnetic (MM), and moving coil (MC). Phono stages range from the neat and compact to the beefy that you'll need to house somewhere convenient in your audio setup. If you were to go for something like the Rega you would also need to invest in either a separate preamp stage or an amplifier that includes its own – if your stereo has a phono input then you’re already off to the races.īut before diving in head first, here are a few considerations to be made when investing in a preamp regarding setup and space.

Some turntables like the Sony PS-HX500 come with a built-in phono stages, however others, like the Rega Planar 1 don't. If you were to plug your turntable directly into the same place, skipping the phono stage, any sound produced would be very reedy, very thin and extremely quiet.

A phono preamp (also known as a phono stage) is a complete necessity when it comes to getting your vinyl setup off the ground: they provide standard equalisation – correcting sonic imbalances left over as a manufacturing necessity – and boost the weak signal from your deck’s cartridge to a level that allows you to connect it to your stereo via standard AUX sockets. The preamp and amp sections ensure the quick connection of the turntable via the dedicated input and quality signal amplification, with minimum losses. The best record players: Turntables your vinyl deservesįirstly, let’s deal with the what and why.
PREAMP FOR TURNTABLE UPGRADE
Best phono preamps: Upgrade your vinyl music system.
