How Can I Get My Crossly Phonograph Repaired

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A common trouble many of us run into when setting up a stereo to play vinyl records is that the sound from the turntable is also depression. And sometimes, style too depression.

The turntable is just too placidity.

Frustrating! I know.

This trouble comes in two flavors.

And we'll address both of them in this article.

The first flavor is when there is almost no sound coming from the speakers at all when using the turntable. This commodity will requite you everything you demand to know to fix that trouble.

The other season of problems is when the audio level from the turntable is decent, only not loud enough compared to other sources. We'll await at several ways to set up that problem as well.

And then, how can yous make your turntable louder?

Hither are the 5 means to make your turntable louder:
1. Brand sure to include a phono preamp
2. Change the cartridge to i with a higher output level
3. Modify the phono preamp to one with college proceeds
4. Consider a more than powerful receiver/amplifier
v. Consider speakers with college sensitivity

(PS! I too have an article on how to get more than bass from your turntable were you will find 8 means to increase the bass from your turntable and stereo.)

But now, let's go through each of the 5 ways to make your turntable louder in item. The first one accost the problem where there is almost no sound at all coming from your turntable.

1. Make certain to include a phono preamp

The music signal from a turntable is super weak compared to a music bespeak coming from a CD player, DVD player, iPhone, etc.

So the music signal from a turntable needs to get through an extra stage of distension before it tin exist continued to the same inputs on your receiver (or powered speakers) as for example a CD actor or a DVD player.

For this extra stage of amplification, we'll demand a phono preamp.

If the audio from your turntable is way too depression, almost zero, this is almost certainly because you haven't included a phono preamp in your setup.

Or because you lot haven't used the correct inputs and outputs to connect the phono preamp.

Vinyl basics: line level vs phono Level

The cartridge on your turntable outputs what is called a phono level signal.

And your CD player (if you still have one) or iPhone outputs a line level signal.

A line level signal is about 100 times stronger than a phono level bespeak.

So when a phono level output on a turntable is connected to a line level input on a receiver, the effect is near no sound at all. As the receiver "expects" to receive a signal that is about 100 timer stronger on that input.

The mode to fix this is to include a phono preamp that transforms the phono level betoken to a line level signal.

Phono preamp

A phono preamp can be a standalone box, or built into the turntable or into the receiver.

(Phono preamps are commonly called just preamps in the vinyl jargon.)

Possible Preamp Configurations
ane. Congenital into the turntable (Turntable has a LINE output)
2. Built into the receiver (Receiver has a PHONO input)
iii. A standalone unit/box

If your turntable has a LINE output it has a built-in preamp. The LINE output on a turntable can be connected to any line level input on a receiver and information technology volition work perfectly. Typical line level inputs on a receiver are LINE, AUX, CD, DVD, TAPE, etc.

If your turntable just has a PHONO output it means that your turntable does not have a built-in preamp.

The turntable so has to exist connected to a receiver with a built-in preamp, or to a standalone preamp that connects betwixt the turntable and the receiver.

A receiver with a built-in preamp will take a PHONO input. If it has, it is perfectly ok to connect your turntable PHONO output to the PHONO input on the receiver.

If neither your turntable or receiver has a born preamp, you lot'll have to get hold of a standalone preamp that connects between the PHONO output on your turntable and i of the line level inputs on your receiver (LINE, AUX, CD, Tape, etc.)

If yous make certain that a phono preamp is included in your setup in one of the ways discussed above and connected correctly, the problem with way too depression sound from your turntable should exist fixed.

For an in-depth article on the different ways to set up a vinyl-playing stereo, delight check out this article that will teach y'all everything you lot'll ever demand to know. It will make this perfectly articulate.

And you can read a more in-depth article on phono preamps past clicking here.

One affordable standalone phono preamp we repeatedly recommend hither at Vinyl Restart is the very pop Art DJPREII Phono Preamplifier (Amazon link). Worth checking out if you demand to add a standalone preamp to your stereo, and don't desire to spend too much money on it.

MM vs MC

If the sound is yet way too low afterwards you have verified that a phono preamp is connected correctly in your organisation, it might in some rare cases be because your turntable cartridge is a moving coil (MC) type and your preamp is ready upwardly to work with a moving magnet (MM) cartridge.

MC cartridges output a much lower signal than MM cartridges and demand even more amplification to reach line level. And need a phono preamp that is set to MC. It is often a switch on the preamp that selects between MC and MM.

MC cartridges are but common on very expensive high-end turntables that only savvy Stereophile enthusiasts tend to purchase so this is very rarely what's causing the problem.

2. Change the cartridge to ane with a higher output level

Now that we have addressed, and hopefully fixed, the problem where about no sound at all is coming from the turntable, let's look at how we tin set the trouble where the audio level is decent, only too depression compared to other sources.

1 mode to do this is to increase the strength of the electric music signal before it reaches the speakers. We'll discuss how that can be done in tip number ii,3 and iv.

And last but non least, in tip number v, we'll await at choosing speakers that play louder without increasing the forcefulness of the electrical music signal applied to them.

When we look to increase the strength (or size/level) of the music betoken, it is ideal to commencement look for alternatives as early on in the music bespeak chain every bit possible.

The reason beingness that when we successfully increment the signal strength early on in the music signal chain, we also improve the signal-to-dissonance ratio of our stereo organisation.

And when playing vinyl records, a good bespeak-to-noise ratio is very desirable. As nosotros all want equally little noise and hum coming from our vinyl records as possible.

Hence, it is advised to start looking at the cartridge on the turntable to encounter if it is possible to supercede information technology with one that outputs a stronger signal.

Moving Magnet (MM) cartridges that are plant on nigh turntables typically outputs from 2.5mV to seven.5mV. So if you take a cartridge that outputs 3mV and yous supplant it with to i that outputs 6mV, the music signal that is applied to your speakers is of a sudden twice every bit big. Which volition give a noticeable increase in music book.

I recently experienced this my cocky. A inverse the cartridge on my Rega Planar 2 from a Rega Carbon (two.5mV) to a Rega Exact (7.0mV) which made my turntable sound significantly louder. So it really works.

To investigate the output levels of different cartridges, Needle Md is a good place to commencement. You lot tin too cheque out the websites of the biggest cartridge manufacturers. Similar Audio-Technica and Ortofon.

3. Change the phono preamp to one with higher gain

The next place to look to increase the signal strength is the phono preamp. Unlike phono preamps take unlike gain (output level). And selecting ane with higher gain over i with lower gain will have a significant impact on the music volume.

Particularly if you are using the preamp that is congenital into the turntable or a very inexpensive standalone ane, chances are that the gain and output level are quite low.

One solution is to effort an affordable standalone preamp with adjustable gain like the Art DJPREII Phono Preamplifier I already mentioned (Amazon link).

Here is a quick youtube review of the Fine art DJPREII if you are interested.

If you are looking for a more high-end phono preamp with proficient proceeds (and superb sound!) the Rega Fono Mini A2D is worth checking out. A highly recommended and critically acclaimed phono preamp. It is also 1 of the recommended preamps by the major habitation stereo mag What HiFi. And the verbal i I use for my turntable. It sounds fantastic for the price.

4. Consider a more powerful receiver/amplifier

Not exactly rocket science, but a more powerful receiver or amplifier will increase the music volume over a less powerful 1.

One insight though is to first consider irresolute the cartridge and the preamp before looking to supervene upon the receiver/amplifier which in most cases will be a bigger investment.

Also, as it is mostly your turntable that provides insufficient music volume (and all other sources are ok), changing the receiver/amplifier should not be the start upgrade to consider. As it doesn't ready the root cause.

five. Consider speakers with college sensitivity

One interesting affair well-nigh speaker is how dissimilar they can exist in their power to evangelize music volume with the same amount of ability (Watts) applied to them.

Nosotros call this speaker sensitivity.

Speaker sensitivity is by Wikipedia defined as "decibels at 1 W electrical input, measured at 1 meter".

A speaker with loftier sensitivity can deliver astonishing music volume when driven by an amplifier that but delivers 10 Watt.

While a speaker with low sensitivity will need a 100 Watt amplifier to deliver the same music volume.

Typical habitation loudspeakers have sensitivities of nearly 85 to 95 dB for 1 W. So information technology varies quite a scrap.

Sensitivity is i parameter that pretty much every loudspeaker manufacturer list in their spec sheet, so it is quite easy to compare sensitivity ratings when browsing for a speaker with high sensitivity.

Conclusion

In this article, we have learned that if in that location is well-nigh no sound coming from a turntable at all, that is nearly certainly considering the stereo doesn't include the all important phono preamp. Or that the preamp is not connected correctly, using the right inputs and outputs.

Nosotros have also learned that there are different ways to increment the music volume from a turntable. This can be done past upgrading to a cartridge with higher output level, upgrade the preamp to one with college gain, upgrading to a more than powerful receiver and choosing speakers with higher sensitivity (dB/W).

How can I improve the audio of my turntable?

Common ways to ameliorate the sound of a turntable is to upgrade the cartridge and upgrade the phono preamp. It is also of import that the records and the stylus are make clean, that the turntable is placed on a stable and level shelf and that the cartridge is correctly aligned and take the correct tracking force.

Will a preamp make my turntable audio ameliorate?

A preamp will make a turntable sound better if it is of college quality than the preamp it replaces. It is non possible to play vinyl records without a preamp so a preamp is admittedly necessary. The preamp can, all the same, be built into the turntable or receiver. Or it tin be a standalone unit that connects between the turntable and the receiver.

Exercise ameliorate turntables sound improve?

Yes. A higher end turntable will sound improve than an entry-level turntable. A high-end turntable will be able to read the grooves in the tape with college accuracy and volition have the ability to reproduce music more than identical to its original audio. Feel complimentary to check out our list of 10 recommended turntables.

Why does my tape player audio fast?

Vinyl records are manufactured to be played at ane of iii different speeds. It can exist 33RPM, 45RPM or 78RPM. Most record players have adjustable speed. So if your record actor is set to play records at 45RPM and you put on a record that is manufactured to be played at 33RPM, it will sound fast.