Can someone answer a question for me!!!

[racfan9]

I've got a 1959 Telefunken stereo console that I have refurbed. I recently had to pull the original turntable to work on it and while it was out I hooked up a Yamaha table with a phono preamp so I could still listen to my albums. The first thing I noticed is that I had to turn the volume up alot more to llisten than with the original table, I'm just curious why that would be. Of course the original table utilized a ceramic cartridge and the Yamaha has a Shure M104E magnetic cartridge. So is the difference in volume levels contributed to the phono preamp or something else.

Thanks,
racfan9

 

[blhagstrom]

You answered it.
Ceramic phono runs at about the same line level as AUX, Tape.
Magnetic phono runs a lot lower and thus needs a pre-amp (phono pre-amp).

SOOOooo, if you have an old tube amp with only phono and it was ceramic, you can use it as a CD input!

 

[beatcomber]

You answered it.
Ceramic phono runs at about the same line level as AUX, Tape.
Magnetic phono runs a lot lower and thus needs a pre-amp (phono pre-amp).

SOOOooo, if you have an old tube amp with only phono and it was ceramic, you can use it as a CD input!

Or you can insert a phono preamp between the turntable and amp.

 

[racfan9]

I do have a phono preamp hooked up with the Yamaha table and it sounds fine playing thru the Telefunken, but where I had the volume set at maybe a quarter turn when using the original turntable with the ceramic cartridge I have to go to about 3/4 turn to get the same volume. I guess what I'm asking is there a big difference in the photo preamps as far as output.

 

[racfan9]

So I noticed on the higher priced phono preamps that they have an adjustable gain control, so will that translate to more volume through the speakers if you set the gain higher?

 

[beatcomber]

So I noticed on the higher priced phono preamps that they have an adjustable gain control, so will that translate to more volume through the speakers if you set the gain higher?

Yes.