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Improve volume from turntable with a new cartridge?

Hi all,

I am getting back into hifi after years of iPod and computer speakers. Last week I bought a Music-Hall integrated amp and a pair of B&W 686 S2 speakers, and a JL Audio powered 8" sub-woofer. CD player is a Sony CDP C-445 multi-disc player that I bought for $100 used. Turntable is one I have from years ago, a Technics SL-D2 direct-drive with a plastic-looking Grado cartridge, not sure of model, it was back in the early ’90s.

This morning I tried to do an A/B comparison between my turntable and my CD player. Music was Pink Floyd’s "Dark Side of the Moon". Old scratched 20-year-old CD versus brand-new bought yesterday LP from the local vinyl store.

It was difficult to do a proper A/B because every time I switched to the phono input on the amp, I had to increase the volume to about 2 o’clock, and when I switched back to the CD input I had to dial back the volume to about noon.

The amp has a phono input so I am assuming it has a built-in phono pre-amp, right? If so, why is the volume still so low? Would upgrading to a better cartridge increase the volume? I am open to a newer, better-quality turntable if it will improve the sound considerably. I have hundreds of LPs, about half of which are in good condition and would probably be good to listen to after a good cleaning, BUT I also have hundreds of CDs, and if the turntable / LP would not yield significant improvement over the CDs, then I am hesitant to invest further in analog.

So.... back to the point... if I could get close to the same volume from my phono as I do from CD, it would be easier to do a decent A/B. Could a different cartridge in my existing turntable achieve that?

Alternatively I could check with my local hifi store and see if they would let me bring home and test-drive a turntable.

Sorry for the long post. Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for your time and advice.

Eric Zwicky
Richmond VA
ezwicky
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,418 posts
 
Lewm’s last comments make a lot of sense.
My cartridge has a high output of 5mV, and my volume control is at 10 o’clock and 12 o’clock between TT and CD.

If you want try an outboard phonostage, I have heard good things about the iFi iPhono2, as well as the Schiit...
http://schiit.com/products/mani

Agree with ghosthouse, listen to your records.
abnerjack
231 posts
 
Eric,

When I decided to get more serious about sound quality a few years ago I was disappointed in the sound I was getting from my low-fi vinyl rig. I wanted vinyl to sound better, but found that for me, I had to invest quite a bit more on the analog side to get it there. This is just my opinion, but I think digital sound comes cheaper, but once you invest in better analog equipment it is the better experience. 

I would predict that with your current equipment, I would not find a preference for the vinyl.  But my ability to discern may not be as good as yours or the next guys.  This is the type of thing a good dealer would help you with and could do an A/B comparison at different dollar levels.

If you haven't seen this thread, you might find it helpful.  Good luck.

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/when-and-how-did-you-if-at-all-realize-vinyl-is-better
ezwicky OP
26 posts
 
Thanks everybody for replying.  I guess at this point I need to see if I can clean / restore my old records, then see how they sound.   The lone brand-new one (Dark Side of the Moon) sounded awesome, if quieter than my CDs, but still sounded great to my ears.   If I can get some of my really good older records to sound that good, then I will invest in a better turntable and cartridge.   My local hifi store is a dealer for Music-Hall and Pro-Ject, so those would be two possibilities.
dentdog's avatar
dentdog
506 posts
 
Tough to coax a vinyl system to sound better than CD. Tough to listen to CDs once you do. The vinyl obsession is expensive. Like a very beautiful woman, you have to know that even if you can swing it, it's going to be very expensive.
ezwicky OP
26 posts
 
This is what I worry about, being somewhat obsessive...
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