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Phono Pre-amp with XLR

I am looking at hooking up a Turntable with pre-amp to my anthem D2 pre-pro. I would like to use the XLR connections on the D2 for this.

I am currently looking at a VPI scoutmaster table and I know you can get an XLR junction box for the table. I am wondering what kind of phono stage to get with this setup. I would prefer tube and have seen them with XLR in/outs as well as with RCA in and XLR out. I don't know if i would be loosing or gaining anything by going RCA from the table to the phono stage then XLR to the Pre-pro (saving the 350$ for the junction box of course) or going XLR all the way.

Thoughts? Also looking for suggestions for the phono stage - around 1K new or used

Thanx Much
prochk3
prochk3 OP
5 posts
 
Thanx for the responses everyone

Grinnell - I checked out the unit you mentioned and am a little confused as to how to wire this up - it appears to only have a total of 2 XLR jacks - I would have assumed that you would need two sets one for in from the phono and one for out to the pre/pro.

What am I missing - this is the source of my confusion for a number of phon stages I have seen

Thanx again
wolf_garcia
6,734 posts
 
Shouldn't ALL phono cartridges be balanced/low inmpedence? It seems like all TTs should have balanced/"low z" outs as the signal is so tiny from the cartridge it could assuage the loss issue...and issue assuaging is good. I want to live in a balanced, low impedence world...is that so wrong? ASSUAGE I SAY!
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,958 posts
 
Wolf_garcia ALL phono cartridges *are* balanced, and any MC is also considered low impedance. But you knew that, right?
wolf_garcia
6,734 posts
 
Yeah...I guess I meant, or it should have been obvious that I meant, we need more balanced XLR input/output stuff to limit the loss in micro signals in cables...like all the pro gear and recording stuff I've been using seemingly forever. But I guess we all know that, right?
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,958 posts
 
Wolf_garcia, surprisingly (to me anyway), no, 'we' collectively don't seem to know that, even though that is the fact of the matter.

I say this because when we introduced the MP-1 22 years ago, it was the first balanced line preamp made. The fact that it is balanced line and not single-ended has been its biggest marketing problem: audiophiles and dealers alike have had problems with the idea that balanced lines are inherently superior in every way. One of the biggest superiorities, IMO, is the simple fact that if you do the balanced line properly, the cable no longer has to be expensive (that is why you will find me recommending Mogami Neglex cables in other threads).

We (rather innocently and also rather naively) assumed that audiophiles would be very interested in a technology that offered immunity to cables such that a $0.10/foot cable could sound as good as one that is $1000.00/foot. Boy were we wrong. Many audiophiles buy expensive cables for reasons that have nothing to do with audio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_effect
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