dansomeone
Well-Known Member
With a Rega P3 - Exact 2 you could certainly do better than the Music Hall Mini. Your post reminded me of this video:
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Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice
- Thread starter Joe Mac
- Start date
AnthonyI
Well-Known Member
I think the consensus around here has become that the pre-amp shouldn't be overlooked, and there are fantastic options at multiple price points.
AnthonyI
Well-Known Member
I remember watching this a while back and thinking, the power of branding, lol
Splunders
Well-Known Member
If you have the spare cash to upgrade, lets say to something in the $300 range, you should experience an undeniable upgrade. A P3 with what is essentially a $49 phono preamp, is shortchanging what your deck can offer.
It also matters what amplification and speakers it's going into too. If everything else you have is on par with the music hall mini, rather than the P3, you might find greater improvements found upgrading your speakers, for example.
@GelloJive even a Schiit Mani at $129 would be an upgrade. I’d still recommend stepping up from there though.
Bsdmr2
Well-Known Member
Makes sense to me to go with the Rega Aria for synergy, or the fono if funds don’t stretch. Synergy is really important.
dansomeone
Well-Known Member
Since you have a Rega P3 deck with Rega's best MM cartridge, why not rip a hole in the space-time continuum by adding Rega's well-regarded Fono MM Mk 3 phono stage? Here's an open box unit for $348.
Keep in mind this preamp is for MM carts only, so if you want to try an MC cart down the road it won't work for that. But if you intend to stick with MM carts, it could be just the trick.
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Mather
Unknown Member
Alright folks @HiFi Guy , I need some assistance. So I've got a Rega Aria phono stage that runs to an Arcam 550 AVR, and I've got one album where the bass notes on several songs appear to be peaking my ADC chip. So basically when the bass hits I get pops, if I throw the system into stereo direct mode which is full analogue and bypasses the room correction software, then the pops are gone. I've also turned off the room correction software but still gone through the ADC chip and I still get the pops, I've killed the treble and the bass and lowered the volume and it has no effect. I've looked at the input gain on the amp and no matter what I set it to the pops still remain. Is this just something that one has to expect from time to time when running a very sensitive stylus through a digital system? Or is this something that sounds like a repairable problem? I don't think I've heard this on any other albums but since it sounds like a regular record pop I'm not sure I would have noticed if not for this one album... Beta Band "Los Amigos Del Beta Banditos" Remaster...
displayname
Well-Known Member
To me that just sounds like a chip programming or spec issue. Just some magic frequency that it doesn't want to take, or can't take. I doubt it's something that would be repaired, likely a design element/compromise. Not an engineering perspective, but that's my best guess.
Mather
Unknown Member
Yeah I tend to agree here. I'm gunna talk to Arcam and see what they say but I'm guessing it's the way it is. At least I know the tracks so I can just go Pure Direct when they come on haha...
My suggestion would be attenuating RCA cables between the table and preamp.
Homemade RCA Attenuator
Homemade RCA Attenuator: This project arose from the fact that I had too much gain in my audio system, and I needed a practical solution without modifying the PCB circuit. The problem can be solved using an RCA (in-line) attenuator, but since a new one can be quite expensi…
www.instructables.com
Mather
Unknown Member
Oh wow interesting, okay great I'll look into this thanks mate!My suggestion would be attenuating RCA cables between the table and preamp.
Homemade RCA Attenuator
Homemade RCA Attenuator: This project arose from the fact that I had too much gain in my audio system, and I needed a practical solution without modifying the PCB circuit. The problem can be solved using an RCA (in-line) attenuator, but since a new one can be quite expensi…
lovehatelove
New Member
I'm considering buying an external preamp because the built in one on my vintage Technics reciever sounds really muddy and i'm tired of adjusting the bass and treble. but first I need an RCA switchbox. I've been disappointed with the sound i'm getting from my records for a while now. I think an external preamp will remedy this. Can anyone recommend this switchbox I found on eBay?
Durable Stereo Audio Speaker Switch Box Switcher Selector 6 Way Port RCA | eBay
The 6-channel audio signal selection switcher solves complicated line plug in and plug out, which uniformly connects device input signal sources to the switcher for easily selection. 6 input 2 output or 2 output 6 input stereo audio signal selection switcher, with RCA port design.
www.ebay.com
VMPKJ
Well-Known Member
I love my Tube Box DS. I found it open box for around 300 and rolled the tubes out of the box. Sounds fantastic and dead quiet. changing tubes is a bit difficult, but phono tubes last for ages.
duke86fan
Well-Known Member
hmmm.. maybe.. i'm a little nervous about tubes because a cat could mess with them (its going to be on my floor) and if they are bumped that could mean danger. i never used a tube amp though... how does it change the sound.. i like the resonant feeling the vinyl already has (also why does a preamp have a volume control)
VMPKJ
Well-Known Member
Tubes are not that sensitive. As far as sound impartation it’s kind of like adding very subtle compression. Especially on a phono unit where it’s simply adding gain so it’s up to line level. To me it more glues things together and smooths things out than changes the sound dramatically.
Volume? I think you mean on the DS? That’s an impedance knob. You are using MM carts so on this unit it will be bypassed the way you would be running it. It essentially does nothing the way it will be configured. Plus side is if you do go up to MC carts later you can use this unit.
Volume? I think you mean on the DS? That’s an impedance knob. You are using MM carts so on this unit it will be bypassed the way you would be running it. It essentially does nothing the way it will be configured. Plus side is if you do go up to MC carts later you can use this unit.
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GelloJive
Member
do you think the Aria is too much for my setup though? (my speakers are Dynaudio Xeo 2s)
Im thinking the Fono but maybe long term the Aria would be good because I’d just hang on to that sucker.
and should I take a look at tube amps?
Joe Mac
Well-Known Member
Honestly I’d set a budget and buy the best piece of equipment that you can get within it. Synergy is important but you don’t need to have a whole set of equipment from the same manufacturer to achieve it.
Tubes are great, I love my tube power amplifier, but if we are talking phono stage I wouldn’t bother if it’s going to be one that just uses a tube buffer, unless it just so happens to be the best stage for your budget. If it’s a full tube phono stage that’s well thought of then maybe, but they tend to be pricy.