WTB: Phono preamp

EndersShadow
EndersShadow Posts: 17,593
in Wanted (WTB) Classifieds
Had to sell some things recently and my work setup took a hit.

I’ve got my Technics SL-B3 TT and Little Dot headphone amp left.

I listen to LPs at work frequently and am hoping someone has a budget phono preamp around for sale. Low cost Preamp is also possible as long as it’s got Phono (and a aux input for my iPhone would be a plus).

I’m thinking Santa may have like 50 bucks for me to spend, so let me know if you’ve got something that fits the bill.

Not looking for anything extravagant, just something basic. If it’s a preamp, looks matter a bit as I like old vintage stuff.
"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,162
    I would recommend an Art DJPre-II at that price.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,593
    edited December 2019
    I’m good to go. My buddy’s shop randomly got in 4 old school phono preamps.

    So I got one of the realistics pictured below for 35$

    dkcaqscxnzq1.jpeg
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • verb
    verb Posts: 10,176
    EndersShadow wrote: »
    I’m good to go. My buddy’s shop randomly got in 4 old school phono preamps.

    So I got one of the realistics pictured below for 35$

    dkcaqscxnzq1.jpeg

    Where do you work brother? Listen to LP’s, wow! :smile:
    Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
    Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
    Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
    Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
    Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
    Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD.
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,593
    edited December 2019
    verb wrote: »
    EndersShadow wrote: »
    I’m good to go. My buddy’s shop randomly got in 4 old school phono preamps.

    So I got one of the realistics pictured below for 35$

    dkcaqscxnzq1.jpeg

    Where do you work brother? Listen to LP’s, wow! :smile:

    I work IT so occasionally I can put on my headphones (Beyerdynamic DT-770s) and spin some LPs while I update code or other items.

    I also stream Spotify through the headphone amp, but sometimes spinning Dads old LPs just brightens my day.

    People stare often... and they dint even know that I’m using MIT EXp RCAs, upgrades powercables, and a Furman AC-215a surge protector hehehe.....

    Next up is to mod my headphones to accept an upgraded cable via a connector in the ear of the headphone..........

    IIRC someone here already did similar....

    Then upgrade the TT wiring.... just because...
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • verb
    verb Posts: 10,176
    ^^^^^ Very cool!
    Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
    Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
    Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
    Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
    Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
    Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD.
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,593
    edited December 2019
    verb wrote: »
    ^^^^^ Very cool!

    Thanks..... Unrelated but while there I found an old pair of Lafayette Criterion 25a speakers that just spoke to me.... (I bet 1$ old @mhardy6647 can find specs on em)

    For 20 bucks (and a free 4" Tang Bang driver as welI grabbed em. They sound "eh", but I am likely gonna just trash the existing 8" driver and tweeter and use the box to house a single 8" full range driver.

    I'd be using at work, at VERY low levels, so Xmax doesnt matter, so focusing on clarity and detail (and I have a plan for a small simple sub possibly).

    Anyway, gotta start looking at 6-8" drivers that would work in this small box (~.41cf) and get me to around 60-80hz......

    And I totally realize I'm gonna have a TON more in the parts than the cabinets, but hey..... its all fun......

    r7cs06xozx1a.jpeg
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,162
    EndersShadow wrote: »
    I’m good to go. My buddy’s shop randomly got in 4 old school phono preamps.

    So I got one of the realistics pictured below for 35$

    dkcaqscxnzq1.jpeg
    Cool. Some people mod those Realistics to run on batteries.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • michaeljhsda2
    michaeljhsda2 Posts: 2,185
    edited December 2019
    EndersShadow wrote: »
    Had to sell some things recently and my work setup took a hit.

    I’ve got my Technics SL-B3 TT and Little Dot headphone amp left.

    I listen to LPs at work frequently and am hoping someone has a budget phono preamp around for sale. Low cost Preamp is also possible as long as it’s got Phono (and a aux input for my iPhone would be a plus).

    I’m thinking Santa may have like 50 bucks for me to spend, so let me know if you’ve got something that fits the bill.

    Not looking for anything extravagant, just something basic. If it’s a preamp, looks matter a bit as I like old vintage stuff.

    I have a Yaqin MS 22B phono preamp if your interested. Includes stock Shuguang 12AX7 tubes (2).
    SDA SRS 2.3TL's
    Silk Audio MS-90-BT integrated tube amp
    Yaqin MS-20L integrated tube amp
    SDA 2B TL's
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,909
    edited December 2019
    EndersShadow wrote: »
    verb wrote: »
    ^^^^^ Very cool!

    Thanks..... Unrelated but while there I found an old pair of Lafayette Criterion 25a speakers that just spoke to me.... (I bet 1$ old @mhardy6647 can find specs on em)

    For 20 bucks (and a free 4" Tang Bang driver as welI grabbed em. They sound "eh", but I am likely gonna just trash the existing 8" driver and tweeter and use the box to house a single 8" full range driver.

    I'd be using at work, at VERY low levels, so Xmax doesnt matter, so focusing on clarity and detail (and I have a plan for a small simple sub possibly).

    Anyway, gotta start looking at 6-8" drivers that would work in this small box (~.41cf) and get me to around 60-80hz......

    And I totally realize I'm gonna have a TON more in the parts than the cabinets, but hey..... its all fun......

    r7cs06xozx1a.jpeg
    Yeah, they're pretty terrible little loudspeakers as is (as you discovered). Indeed, I once found a pair... well... you know where :# -- and I left them there, too. I didn't leave a lot of hifi stuff behind @ the ol' Harvard dump, but even I have my limits! ;)

    This said, it is of course, absolutely fine -- and not a bad idea! -- to leverage the found box and do something else with it! And the TangBand driver is a nice bonus!

    You might just want to leave/take/cut :p the backs off those 'enclosures' and use a nice sounding, high-ish Qts 8" 'fullrange' driver and run 'em as open baffles -- just sayin' ;)

    Let me know if you want me to check stock ;)
    I do think 8" is a sweet spot for 'fullrange' (extended range... let's be honest with ourselves here) drivers (FWIW).

    PS Sorry we've wandered a bit away from the topic of phono preamps :*



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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,593
    edited December 2019
    jdjohn wrote: »
    Cool. Some people mod those Realistics to run on batteries.

    Interesting, I will have to check that out, sounds RAD!
    michaeljhsda2 wrote: »
    I have a Yaqin MS 22B phono preamp if your interested. Includes stock Shuguang 12AX7 tubes (2).

    Well I'm always interested, but I have a feeling its gonna be DRASTICALLY over budget (and way too good for this gear) but shoot me a PM.....
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    PS Sorry we've wandered a bit away from the topic of phono preamps :*

    Well, I'm the one that took us off topic lol.... so there is that....

    Also here’s that TangBang (need some sealant on the surround though)...

    shgda10li6l4.jpeg
    vhenvsxir30f.jpeg
    u6yi4shqjcvl.jpeg


    @verb Heres the “rig” for now

    il85mqoxiffm.jpeg

    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,909
    We do live in halcyon times for phono preamps -- storebought, kit, and pure-play DIY.
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,593
    edited December 2019
    And here’s the info on the phono preamp
    aua3qqkpxu1f.jpeg

    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,909
    oh, and (ironically on topic, at least sorta...), as is my wont this time of year, I am currently working diligently to rip (as they say) more and more of the seemingly endless backlog of holiday music treasures encoded in the analog domain into the digital domain.

    I mention this because, given the somewhat compromised condition of some of the aforementioned holiday recordings :| I have set up a little cannon fodder system to play them upon whilst ripping them -- and I mention this because I thought the OP, and perhaps others reading this thread, might be amused by the phono preamp which I pressed into service for the task.

    hd980fthgli3.jpg

    kw58ysznvio1.jpg

    B)



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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,593

    giphy.gif

    Doc Hardy going DIGITAL????

    giphy.gif

    Regarding your choice of phono pre.... if your gonna do it...

    giphy.gif





    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • michaeljhsda2
    michaeljhsda2 Posts: 2,185
    Can't figure out how to send a PM via mobile so PM me and we can discuss.
    SDA SRS 2.3TL's
    Silk Audio MS-90-BT integrated tube amp
    Yaqin MS-20L integrated tube amp
    SDA 2B TL's
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,909
    edited December 2019
    Jeepers...
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/Realistic-42-2101a-phono-preamplifier-upgraded-10a/193272675322?hash=item2cfff2fbfa:g:gvIAAOSws11eA9y8

    uqn66l3wow8j.png
    qw80qxugl5k2.png

    225 smackers. :/

    I've gotta admit, I'd probably want you to give me 200 bucks to work on one of these, too... and my hamfisted rehab wouldn't probably look much different inside than what's shown by the photos in this auction. :*
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