My dad is in the market for a receiver to hook up a bunch of stuff to the TV and to some passive speakers he already owns. He found a Sony for a decent price which he could use, but it has no phono input. His current record player has a pre-amp built in, and my understanding is you don’t need a phono input with a record player with build-in pre-amp. He will probably buy a new record player soon though, and that one might not have a pre-amp built in.
Now to the question part: Am I correct when I say that he could use any pre-amp (heresy, liquid spark, topping a30, whatever tube thing that has pre-amp in the description) and put that between a record player without pre-amp and connect it to the aux in of the receiver?
He could use the phono pre-amp from the turntable… but, with my experience, that is just an okay solution. Even if he finds a reciever/amp that has a phono input, they are not as good as even the entry level phono pre-amps available. In my system I have a Yamaha A-S701 Integrated amplifier as well as a Audio-Technica AT-LP7. Both have phono stages in them. In lieu of either of those, I prefer the Schiit Mani. It is a lot more flexible with cartridges.
I was given a used one and it’s very good if you are getting started as an audiophile at only 120 dollars or so
UTurn Pluto is also aparently good and I’m looking forward to trying a tube based project preamp
Just make sure it can do the type of cartridge you have, moving magnet is the most used but moving coil is a favourite of heavy audiophiles for having a better sound but much lower volume
Unless he’s spending a ton on it, it’ll be a moving magnet cartridge and the Schiit Mani is a good starting choice.
The sky really is the limit on what you can spend on a phono pre-amp, but unless you have a VERY expensive turntable/tone arm/cartridge, there are better places to spend your money.
. But the schiit Mani is a good price. Or something like the no sound little bear looks fun.
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