Phono Preamp Recommendations

Using an Adcom 565 might solve the "input matching" level issue I have with phono preamps...although adding a lot of circuitry to the mix, you'd have some serious gain to mess with at the input of the main preamp...to make all the sources the same level anyway.

I use a Jolida JD9. This little beauty of a phono preamp is under $500 and performs on par with much more expensive models. Also, it is very easy (and inexpensive) to make some DIY upgrades that take it into the realm of multi-thousand dollar phono preamps. I wrote a little review here of the JD9 including upgrade instructions.

Bondmanp, I feel so silly. For some reason it didn't occur to me that the phono preamp would, of course, be plugged into the Radio Shack. And yes, this would almost undoubtedly lack the resolution to make out much difference. Ugh.... So often the simple answers elude us (by which I mean ME).

Clockmeister, I will probably give my ADS preamp a go with my turntable before investing in a phono preamp, but if I like getting into vinyl I will definitely get a phono preamp. I already have some nice equipment and don't want to spend more. The way I see it, there really isn't any reason to spend 'x' number of dollars on a preamp with a built in phono stage when I can use my Citation 7.0, for example, and get a good phono preamp. The citation is an excellent analogs preamp already, so I'd have to spend a lot of better it.

BTW, thank you all for the other responses. I haven't bought anything, of course, but if I do I am leaning toward a Cambridge Audio 540p. My main reason is that it is cheap and gives me a way to take another step into vinyl while keeping my investment low. However, I'd gladly take opinions on this piece. For instance, would it really be worth going up to the 640p for someone still experimenting? Things like that.

My 640p is a thoroughly vetted inexpensive item that got some of the best reviews I've seen for ANY phono preamp, has one of the most accurate RIAA circuits ever measured, is built like a tank, and sounds amazing. It also has a (rare these days) 20hz rumble filter that I seem to need, and I stuck a Pangea P100 power supply on it simply because I had one on a DAC and liked it. The Pangea is much better than a "wall wart", cost less than a decent tire, and now that the 640p has been replaced by a new model you may be able to find one for peanuts. Remember...if somebody hasn't actually heard a piece of gear in a system, their opinion of its sound quality is utterly meaningless.