Adding tube influence to a solid state Phono

Ryan Case

New Member
Hi so I want a tube preamp

I have a great sounding Yamaha CR420

I use my turntable more than any other source.

I think I have narrowed my selection to an Phono preamp (tube)

...or a preamp buffer (tube) that has knobs for EQ

I want to know which is preferred and where to put it in the signal chain

Thank you!
 
the phono preamp receives the signal right out of the TT, and its output goes into the line level preamp. Whereas a tube buffer would usually come in between the line preamp and power amp.

Which is preferred? I dunno, it depends where your weakest link is. Your Yamaha is quite old but reports are it has a decent phono section.

If you are asking for my opinion and personal preference, then I would steer away from outboard tube buffers. I think they are budget minded items and not for long term high quality type listening. I personally would spend the money bit by bit to upgrade the electronics in your frontend with quality pieces that will still be relevant for you in decades to come. That doesn't mean spend a lot of money necessarily, but in my opinion it does mean not making the mistake of going down the tube buffer route as that I believe is throw away money. Take this as one opinion.
 
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It always comes down to your budget. the bigger your budget the more choices. I think you need to spend around 500 to get a decent Dynaco PAS preamp.
 
I think the OP mentions the preamp buffer with three band EQ as a possibility for introducing the "tube sound" into his mix. Some sound studios used to call this type of equipment methodology "sound sweetening" which almost became my occupation in 1984. But, that's another story. The currently available preamp buffers which use a three band graphic EQ are actually hybrid tube/FET units and utilize the horrid switching power supplies. You could insert the buffer into your Tape Monitor/External Processing Loop...While they sound okay for the money, they will not be as surprisingly good sounding as incorporating a genuine tube phono stage, IMHO...

Another "tube sweetening" method could be using your Yamaha phono stage with a genuine tube amplifier. At that junction in your audio journey, you might decide it would be time for an all tube preamp/amp system. Enjoy the journey....
 
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