2. amps-preamps
  3. 1447115686

Do I need a pre-amp?

Major noob here. Researching my first turntable purchase. One potential problem is my existing receiver, Marantz SR4001. Not sure if this home-theater receiver is immediately compatible or whether I will need an additional phono pre-amp? Here is spec book: http://newmedia.engl.iastate.edu/tutorials/DFU_SR4001_SR5001_Final_eng.pdf

Looks like there is a pre-amp OUT but I don't see any phono IN. Maybe that doesn't matter, but I'm not sure bc I don't know very much about this stuff. If I need a pre-amp, how much should I expect to spend to be on par w my entry-level B&W floor-standing speakers? I also have a B&W sub that I would like to keep thumping and will changing my setup require altering that config?

Also, this is the turntable I'm considering: https://app.audiogon.com/listings/turntables-conrad-johnson-sonographe-sg-3-with-alphason-opal-sumiko-andante-turntable-tonear-2015-10-12-analog-02461-newton-highlands-ma Is this a good starter table and on par w my setup?

Thanks in advance for helping me learn and sorry for the scattered questions. I've heard great things about this forum.
lionsdwarf
zd542
5,339 posts
 
"Inna, my impression from OP's post was that he might not have the knowledge base to make an informed decision about vinyl, nor with his equipment might he be able to appreciate the distinction (whatever that might be) in sound between an analog and digital source. "

I'm willing to bet that's why the OP started this thread in the first place. He's asking for help because he doesn't know everything.
dbphd
1,633 posts
 
Zd542, my comments have been aimed at OP's motivation for vinyl, given the other components he's using. If my house had a leaky roof, I'd be unlikely to be shopping for a gazebo. In the age of very fine digital sound, vinyl seems an audiophile indulgence. Fun, perhaps, but not a necessary complication for the enjoyment of music. Maybe it's just a sense of priorities. For me, speakers I like would come first, followed closely by a suitable amp to drive them and a reliable source. Only after the basics are in place might I shift my attention to frills. Now if I got caught up in the drift of smoke coming in my direction . . .

db
mesch
3,530 posts
 
I agree with Inna regarding buying a modern TT. Also the suggestion to check out needledoctor, I forgot them in my last post. The Project Debut II seems to be a popular budget choice (~$400). You never mentioned your budget for TT and stage.
zd542
5,339 posts
 
"11-12-15: Dbphd
Zd542, my comments have been aimed at OP's motivation for vinyl, given the other components he's using."

I suspect the OP won't be the first person to use a TT with a receiver. Maybe not even the last. As for the rest of it, its good to know how you do things. Its like a carefully plotted course that we should all follow.
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,418 posts
 
On websites like Needle Doctor, when you choose a budget TT which includes tonearm aND cart, you have access to suitable phonostages.
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