Because in order to faithfully amplify the minuscule signals generated by a phono cartridge, they must have the highest precision and lowest noise of any amplifier in your system. It’s no mean feat to take a 0.3mV signal and amplify it to the level needed by a regular line-level preamplifier. One millivolt or 1mV is […]

Sure, but only if it suits your use case and you understand the relationship between price and performance. There is enormous variation among phono preamplifiers. Cheap phono preamps really only serve the function of adding vinyl playback to affordable systems that don’t already have it. If this is your use case and you don’t mind

A number of critical adjustments must be made each time a cartridge is fitted to a tonearm. These adjustments are vitally important in getting the most out of your records and stylus. Let’s look at them in the order I normally set them, this is a sequence I apply to all turntables that visit the

No, a good, well-set-up vinyl playback system should be almost silent and exhibit no audible hum, either at rest or when playing records. This is one of the great revelations about vinyl that many folks discover on the journey from basic equipment to more aspirational gear. Some, sadly, never progress far enough to reach this

Not if you care about sound quality and preserving your vinyl! Funky Furniture Radiograms and stereograms, with few exceptions, are not hi-fi equipment. These are furniture pieces that play music. This was their original design intent, and they work well in this role but don’t expect more of them. The problems are varied, but generally