2. amps-preamps
  3. 1111643472

Sound Progression

A week after I've got the pair of speakers (ML Aeries i) and amplifier (Dk Design) I've finally got my Oracle Delphi turntable with Denon DA-401 tonearm and Denon DL-301 cartridge.
Before today I've been using danish (or Swedish) Primare CD player ($1100 version). Holly Molly! What a difference!
It is hard to believe that the difference between vinyl and CD could be so dramatic! I have now it all - from low bass to crystal clear highs! I am amazed.
As you probably know DK Design has integrated phone-in.
One thing I noticed is that if with CD player I rarely turned volume dial to 11 am position - with turntable plugged to phone-in I can turn volume to 3 pm position...even to its limits - to 5 pm. I wonder if it is common. I guess electric signal from turntable is several times lower than from CD player. Is this normal?
sputniks
twl
3,251 posts
 
Yes, it's pretty normal for the TT to have somewhat higher relative position on the volume knob than the digital player. In your case, it is a bit more than usual, and I'd suspect that your phono stage gain is a slight bit too low for the ouput of that cartridge. You should be able to get strong sound at around the top of the dial(12 0'clock).

Welcome to analog!
Be prepared for people to say you are crazy that analog sounds better than digital.
lousyreeds1's avatar
lousyreeds1
286 posts
 
Yeah, I'm pretty sure that the Denon is a very low output moving coil cartridge. I'm going to let other people advise you about phono preamps and cartridges though, because it's not my area of expertise (yet!).
lousyreeds1's avatar
lousyreeds1
286 posts
 
Try turning it to 5am instead of 5pm.

:)

Is your cartridge moving magnet or moving coil? Therein might lie the answer.
gunbei
2,327 posts
 
"Try turning it to 5am instead of 5pm"

LOL @ Lousyreeds1!!

It definitely sounds better when the volume knob is set to 5am than 5pm. Less people are awake.
More to discover