2. amps-preamps
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Phono Stage Amp

I have a mid-level to low end turntable. (Music Hall 11.1) and a low end decent Phono Stage Music Fidelity M1. Good tonearm and good cartridge. 

I listen to JAZZ so volume isn't too much of an issue, but sometimes I just want it loud. I have Cary Audio slp-05 tube pre and the Cary Audio mono block main tube amps as drivers

I crank the volume up just past half way and there tends to be distortion. Below half way the sound is incredible. The records sound better than the corresponding CD or, of course, DAC streaming.

Would upgrading my phono-stage to one with greater boost help me? Or is that half (my whole phono system) of my system as good as it could get?  

128x128cinqcepages
cinqcepages's avatar
cinqcepages OP
52 posts
 

ditusa: Totem Winds. Wind - Totem (totemacoustic.com)

 

 

ditusa's avatar
ditusa
1,689 posts
 

@cinqcepages,

You need a minimum of 150 watts the speakers are low Impedance and low sensitivity. IMO: You have a amp speaker mismatch.

Mike

rodman99999
5,981 posts
 

     If your system is capable of providing a satisfying SPL, with your CD/digital sources (typical output: around 2V), but: not with the output of your analog rig; the problem is obviously the lack of voltage from the phono stage.

     Either seek a higher mV output cartridge or a phono stage with greater gain.

     The Goldring Legacy (if that's the, "Legacy", to which you refer) is a LOMC (.25mV).

     Is your phono stage designed for LOMCs (60dB of gain, or better)?

 

      

     

imhififan's avatar
imhififan
2,108 posts
 

with volume halfway up on the SLP-05 using an Audia Flight CD player the volume is very high and no distortion. So, when I say volume halfway it is to my knowledge of the system which doesn't help you much. But at halfway with the TT the volume is 3/4 of the volume of the CD but with distortion. The mono blocks are the CAD805 Anniversary.

Since CD played louder with no distortion, we can rule out possibility of preamp overloaded the power amplifier, and speaker sensitivity isn't the issue.

Only thing left could be cartridge or phono stage.

300mV output from the phono stage seem fine.

I checked alignment and the weight, and they seem fine.  

Do you have a spare cartridge?

 

 

 

mulveling's avatar
mulveling
1,774 posts
 

The MF M1 phono stage has an MC-mode gain of only 56 dB (you calculate that out from its listed 500 uV input to 300 mV output). That’s pretty low. I wouldn’t be comfortable using that with any cartridge below say 0.6 mV. If @rodman99999 is right and OP’s cart is the Goldring Legacy at 0.25mV, this is indeed a significant mismatch. The dealer shouldn’t have let this combo leave his shop. You HAVE TO match cartridge to phono stage gain, or all kinds of nasty problems can arise. For 0.25 mV I’d want at least 66 dB, likely more (72dB is good). Running 10dB below this range is asking for a bad time, and explains OP’s volume issue.

OP can also try a SUT of 20X - 30X in combination with his current phono stage in MM mode (NOT MC mode), and that should resolve the issue.

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