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Using an external Phono pre amp in to a valve line-only preamp?

M

MEMF1980

pfm Member
Hi all,

This may be a incredibly silly idea but I wanted to run it past you.

I currently use a quad 606 and a tisbury passive with some Kef R3's
My main source is vinyl and as an ex-dj (please don't judge me), I use a high(er) end dj mixer with MUSES01 op amps as my phono stage.

I've always been itching to play with valves so could I swap out the Tisbury for a line only valve preamp and run the mixer through the line input?

In my head this would work but I'm worried if this would degrade the sound as I'd be using two preamps linked together.

Many thanks,
Jon
 
No reason why you should be do that. You might prefer the sound of a valve pre to your passive. Funnily enough, I’ve just taken out a valve pre with internal phono stage, and put in a passive pre (still need a phono stage though).

One question is, does the mixer have a volume control on its output?
 
Hi @Nagraboy - thanks for that, yes I thought it would work and would at least 'scratch the itch' of trying valves in my system.

Yes the mixer has gain control on the input gain stage and output.
 
Most in-built phono stages in preamplifiers are discrete. There is a reason they used to be called pre-preamplifiers. I run a DV-P75mk4 into a valve preamp, even though it has an in-built phono (alas, MM only) stage.
 
@James wonderful so in theory it will work.

out of interest do you use a valve or solid state power amp? Are you happy with the sound?

im very tempted to give it a shot (buy second hand and pass on if it’s not for me).
 
James said:
Most in-built phono stages in preamplifiers are discrete. There is a reason they used to be called pre-preamplifiers. I run a DV-P75mk4 into a valve preamp, even though it has an in-built phono (alas, MM only) stage.
Click to expand...

EH? Most phono stages in full function pre amps are not discrete, ie they DO use IC's (op amps). a "pre preamplifier" was a not very often used term for an MC head amp.
 
Arkless Electronics said:
EH? Most phono stages in full function pre amps are not discrete, ie they DO use IC's (op amps). a "pre preamplifier" was a not very often used term for an MC head amp.
Click to expand...
By discrete, I meant separate circuitry from the line stage. Not discrete semiconductors.
 
MEMF1980 said:
out of interest do you use a valve or solid state power amp? Are you happy with the sound?

im very tempted to give it a shot (buy second hand and pass on if it’s not for me).
Click to expand...
I use SS power amps. Presently, a Copland CTA-301 into Densen B-350 mono-blocks into Ergo E-IX with Scan-speak driver. An all Danish control and playback chain.
 
The better amplifiers get, whether valve or SS, the more alike they sound....Yes? "a straight wire with gain", "the closest approach to the original sound". Surely the most perfect amplifiers must sound very similar to one another?
 
MEMF1980 said:
Ah yes it has a record out function that outputs at -6dB, would this be worth using over master output?
Click to expand...

If you're using it to feed another preamp then yes. It would eliminate the redundant line-level circuitry if you're using the mixer just for its phono preamp function.
 
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