Looking for a phono preamp that has volume control

Just get the best phono stage you can get.And a $49 Schiit Sys.https://www.schiit.com/products/sys
Cheers George

i think that would be called a preamp with a phono stage... 

All preamps with phono inputs have volume control so the question of getting one with volume is a silly title to this thread. Think the maybe OP meant to say " Looking for a phono stage that has volume control"  

But to use a good phono stage with separate passive preamp is another direction to go, with one proviso the phono stage needs to have 68db or more of gain.

This would do nicely if your rich, as it has up to 73db of gain.
https://www.stereophile.com/content/analog-corner-297-van-den-hul-grail-se-phono-preamplifier-saec-w...

Cheers George

This E.A.R. 834p should fit the bill.
http://www.earyoshino.com/products/

Look for a used PS Audio GCPH

Well, if you want a tubed phono stage  with just one analog input, a friend of mine was very happy for many years with an Aesthetix IO phono stage with an analog input.  A superb unit.  Tough to find used, but I think they may still make it, though it's expensive.  If you want to spend less money, the ideas above are pretty good as well.

Not inexpensive but the Art Audio Vinyl One can have a remote volume pot added for $250.  I am the importer.  If we have one in stock in the UK, it would be $4750 with the volume control and ships in about three weeks.  

+georgehifi recommendation above.  Can't beat the Schitt SYS for $49, and buy whatever phono stage you want.

"Can’t beat the Schitt SYS for $49, and buy whatever phono stage you want. "
That’s not true. Many phono preamps do not put out enough voltage to drive a power amp directly!

This brand looks interesting. 
https://www.musicdirect.com/phono-preamps/icon-audio-ps1-mk2-mmmc-phono-preamp

Tubed, with volume control.

One of the top phono stages is rhe manley steelhead it even has an analog volume control and remote controled volume

Clean, quiet, and bulletproof with enormous flexibility, the STEELHEAD is both a tweak-o-holic tube-lover’s dream, and a reviewer’s referenceTwo MC inputs have selectable impedance matching via our beautiful Manley-designed and produced autoformers. Resistive load settings for the MM input and any capacitive loading from 0 to 1100pF will mate the STEELHEAD perfectly to any cartridge. Audiophile-grade components are used throughout. VARI outs can drive amps direct. LINE input replaces your preamp. Outboard PSU and RF Remora Remote control includedWe debuted to the world a killer frikkin’ cool phono stage at CES 2001. It was called, aquatic naming theme continuing, The Steelhead®, as it is an "upstream" device and has a very clever MC variable load auto tranny that we designed and our very own Manley Magnetics department executed (which makes the MC stage so very clever).

Iron = transformer = "steel" makes sense to me..."I’ve had my Steelhead RC for 7 years now. Being an audiophile, a lot of changes have been made to my system through the years, but I’m positive that the Steelhead will never leave."- Le N. (Customer) - "Overall, the Steelhead delivered the best vinyl playback I’ve heard from my system. It combined speed, frequency extension, resolution, harmonic structure, focus, air, stage depth, image specificity, and, most important, overall musical coherence in a way that made the music seem to fly from the speakers unrestrained by mechanical or electrical bounds."- Michael Fremer, Stereophile, December 2001 - "...the Steelhead is a very fine phonostage. And no, you’re not just paying for flexibility — the damn thing sounds great and very easily competes with a purist-design...and well, the Steelhead is so pretty. I guess you could say I’m a fan of the aesthetic. Very MANLEY."- Scot Hull, Part-Time Audiophile, January 2011 - "The Manley Steelhead is a tube phono pre-amp with all the qualities we love about tubes and none of the limitations of those thermionic devices...I lay odds that whatever kind of audiophile you consider yourself to be, you’ll find yourself more involved in the music."- Marshall Nack, Stereo Times, December 2002 - "Whatever cartridge I fed it, the Steelhead would allow me to tweak it to degrees rarely achieved even with other well-specified, highly-flexible phono stages; whoever chose the assorted settings chose wisely...I’m prepared to say that the Steelhead is the best-sounding phono stage I’ve ever experienced."- HomeTheaterReview.com, January 2009


Dave and troy
Audio intellect Nj

Jeffex00,
Yogiboy raised a good point. You have to consider the input sensitivity (Measured in millivolts/volts) of the power amplifier you intend to drive. Phono stages will vary in this driving voltage capacity. The Icon suggested by tablejockey looks very interesting and seems to address the output voltage issue as does the Manley Steelhead.
Charles

Contact us for more info

@yogiboy and @charles1dad , thank you, great point to bring up.

Some homework will be needed. You will likely need a reasonably hi-gain phono preamp to enjoy a passive preamp such as the inexpensive SYS My understanding is that most out there qualify for that, but do your homework if you do decide to go the passive route.

Looking for a phono preamp that has volume control. I've gone digital and sold my preamp. I don't want to convert the analog to digital and play it thru my DAC. And I miss my records. So I'm looking suggestions, preferably tube phono preamp with volume control.

When we came out with our preamps, they were meant then and still are today as stand-alone phono reproducers. To that end they have a phono section, a volume control and otherwise the minimum amount of stuff so that they can drive a balanced interconnect to the amp.

But because they can do all this, they also work great with digital sources as all that is needed is the input on the back and a switch to go between phono and the other sources. So I really don't get the question here as many preamps are set up in just exactly this manner, unless its to eliminate the line section of the preamp to get more transparency.

So here are the functions of a line stage:1) provide and needed gain2) select inputs3) provide volume and balance control4) control the interconnect between the line stage and the amplifier

Of these, its 4) that is the least understood, even by preamp designers. If you've heard differences between interconnect cables then you know what I'm talking about here- preventing the cable from making or breaking the system is a pretty important function as its much easier to make the system be neutral and more transparent if this is done.

features? budget?

I am a fan of both remote volume and remote balance, of any source, while in listening position.

great points from atmasphere

i would only add that phono stage gain is the most precious of all gains since it magnifies the original and smallest signal

so having more gain than you need at this critical point often introduces noise or distortion that can otherwise be avoided if gain were to be optimized to the cartridge output and the rest of system

to have a lot of excess gain at the phono stage, then to use a passive or other attenuator to reduce it down significantly is, imho, a very unproductive exercise

RM-4 Music Reference, they still have some NOS w volume controls 

Looks like I have a lot of homework to do to get the right combination. I thought the points that  charles1dad brought up were spot on. I don't really know how much gain my amps require or what my present cartridge puts out. So, I'll need to figure that out first and then start looking for a combination that meets the amps requirements. Thx everybody for your input.

That’s not true. Many phono preamps do not put out enough voltage to drive a power amp directly!

Read the whole post before saying "that’s not true"

That’s why I said it has to have 68db of gain or higher!!!!!! And many do these days!

Simple answer is Parks Puffin, now available with coax OR toslink out to galvinically isolate it. 
Zero chance of transposing hum.
It has a big pot in the middle.
Until you get a DAC with remote volume.
Shannon used to sell tube phono stages.
He has moved on.

furutech alpha gt40 doing for chump change used

great points from atmasphere

i would only add that phono stage gain is the most precious of all gains since it magnifies the original and smallest signal

so having more gain than you need at this critical point often introduces noise or distortion that can otherwise be avoided if gain were to be optimized to the cartridge output and the rest of system

to have a lot of excess gain at the phono stage, then to use a passive or other attenuator to reduce it down significantly is, imho, a very unproductive exercise

As atmasphere says:

Of these, its 4) that is the least understood, even by preamp designers.

Like you, here is where it gets confusing to me, but at least I’m trying to think your question out for myself.

The Aric Audio Transcend MM Phono Stage has a - Variable output level control for source matching.

http://aricaudio.com/products.php?product=MM12AX7#desc

Could this Variable output level control for source matching be used as a volume control? On is it just a gain pot only?

Thanks

fuzztone,

+1 on the Parks Puffin and the price point is hard to beat for the op's wanted application. You don't hear too many people bring up Shannon's gear here on agon.

You can find many options and some good suggestions above.
I also have the PS Audio GCHP-(no idea what that stands for)
which I bought for $500 on Audiogon. Hell of buy by the pound.
Since we are only left to guess whether the OP means to spend 
$500 or $5,000 many of these suggestions are not going to work.

We don't even know what he's trying to accomplish.
Nice tries anyways.

Look at the Aqvox2CI. It has a balanced design all the way to the Cartridge and thereby provides the lowest hum and noise I have ever experienced. 

Graham Slee Accession has a volume control.

hi georgehifi
You're right about the vdH Grail.
Last year I auditioned nearly everything balanced in the £5k to £15k range.
Grail was the best by a long road.  It has everything, accuracy, soundstage, realism.
And it can be connected single-end or balance.  I noted many contenders are SE only when balanced is the clear best way to go.  I didn't audition any of those because my system runs balance from stylus to speakers.

Could this Variable output level control for source matching be used as a volume control? On is it just a gain pot only?

@tyray  It looks like that has been eliminated in the current version, but if I missed it, it would make for a very inconvenient volume control!

@tyray The control is still there on the current version and is located on the rear panel. The typical function is to match the phono stage to your line-stage or integrated amp's sensitivity, however in most cases can be left wide open. I can also mount this control on the front panel for convenience if the unit were to be fed directly into a power amplifier with a sensitivity of 1.25 volts or less per channel and input impedance of 5kohms or higher so that it could be used as a volume control. Best regards, Aric

I know I’m really late to this party but:

Bellari VP130 is what you’re looking for.  Or were.