Phono Preamps.

STUFFMD

I recently hooked up my tunntable to my reciever. I had to turn the volume almost to refrence levels to get adequate sound, and the sound I was getting was pretty flat and lifeless, I was using Pink Floyd DSOTM Original Master for a refrence disc. Would my setup be helped by a Phono preamp???? or is maybe somthing possibly wrong with my setup, although I know there's not much to that.
The cartridge is MMC.
If the preamp is the answer can someone recommend a good unit that is reasonably priced?????
Thanks, Stuff

RuSsMaN

MMC?

Is it MM or MC?

Does the Onkyo have a phono stage built in (phono input)?

STUFFMD

M M C
I think it stands for Moving Magnetic Coil.
Stuff

STUFFMD

Yes on the Phone input.

STUFFMD

Hey Russman,
Just looked it up..B&O calls it the Moving Micro Cross...according to what I was reading just about everything moves on the cartridge.
Stuff

danger boy

Stuff,

A few years ago I ventured down this same exact path with I think the same B&O turntable. It might even my old one. Did you get it on ebay about a year to year and half ago?

Anyway, I had a B&O turntable I wanted to hook up to my receiver. I bought a cheap-o preamp and hooked it up. I did get volume out of it.. but it had a noticeable hum in it.. that i could never get rid of completely. I thought maybe it just needed better gounding.. no go. So i fiddled with it for a couple months.. but still no solution.

I'm interested to hear more about your findings on this.

B&O gear is very beautiful to look at isn't it?

Al

STUFFMD

Yeah Al, I love the look of B&O, actually there is a guy on E-Bay selling a whole set for $200. I am definately giving it some thought. As far as ownership, I am the original owner, purchased back in the 80's, just bringing it out of mothballs.
It's funny it always worked well with my old MCS 45 watt integrated.
Stuff

Tour2ma

Stuff,
Never heard of MMC, but given what you describe it would seem to be a low output cartridge. Did your old Receiver have a MC input you used? Many old ones had phono stages for both MM and MC cart's. If a receiver has only one phono in, you can bet it's an MM.

As for inexpensive phono pre's, I'm partial to Audio Alchemy's Vac-in-the-Box. AA is out of business, but they still pop up on ebay and go in the $100 to $150 range.

For inexpensive new, look at the Sumiko on Audio Advisor's web site. I suspect they bought the AA design.... anyway the features and spec's seem very similar.

Frank Z

I'm using a MusicHall PhonoStage. Cost approx. $90 and works great!