Riaa curve


How important is riaa accurcy in a preamp? Some state .5 db...others .25
phasecorrect
Chosenhandle...There is only one RIAA phono equalization curve. Before this was agreed to different labels did indeed use their own propietary curves.
The choice of eq curve is stated on the record jacket, pre 1955. It does not go by year, but by maker. You can search the Internet on appropriate matchings. All the optional eq curves and RIAA are the inverse of that used when cutting the record and should be used accordingly, not for effects as some audiophiles think. I use the EMI and Columbia curve in the Boulder 2008.
Hi,
the ML phono-modules in my ML326S must be really bad news, they ONLY claim +/- 1dB!

A previously owned GCPH claimed 0.25dB (+/-?)

The ML (in)boards sound better, hm.

Now take any cart MM to MC and each and every one sounds different in the same phono-modules, some actually one hell of a lot --- from to bright to balanced to dull and so forth.

I have a suspicion that even +/- 1dB is 'peanuts' compared to the much higher deviations that carts bring to the table --- YMMV.

A.
Axelwahl...You are correct that importance of RIAA frequency accuracy is over rated. The rest of the system, notably speakers, are much less accurate.

One consideration when the the RIAA curve was adopted was that it should be easy to implement. Specs of 0.1 dB are usual and many preamps claim better. Perhaps your spec of 1 dB is a misprint.
Hi Eldartford,

>>> Perhaps your spec of 1 dB is a misprint. <<<

Maybe ML printed some figure based on reality?

I am suspicious of measured claimed performance until someone else measures and verifies it.

Looking at J.A.'s (Audiophile) RIAA measurements of some highly regarded phono-stage makes me say that.
Most, or all of them do not do any better then that, and the GCPH? They didn't bother to measure it, so how accurate it the claimed 0.25dB ? --- And I mean at least across the full 20Hz to 20kHz.

Also, looking at the SMD technique used (ML), how on earth are you going to get much better than +/- 1dB, I wouldn't know right now.
(Pre-selected components to 0.1% from a component bonding automat??) That be something new to me...