can't get phono signals to my amps through sound selector (pioneer)

[gramophilia]

Hi! I have a Pioneer Sound Selector that receives CD signals throuigh its high-gain input terminal and relay them through each of 5 selectable switches to 5 preamps, which play them absolutely perfectly on power amps. I tried to use one of these high-gain inputs (marked'Tape', it's an old Pioneer model DS-35F) to connect few phono stages (Musical Fidelity X-LPS V8, WhestTWO, Cambridge Audio CP2, Aikido Phono 1) through a Luxman line-selector (AS-4 III). The Pioneer Selector was supposed to distribute the phono signals to 5 preamps accuphase C200, Sansui CA3000, Pereaux SM2, Marantz SC6 and Sony TA 2000F) through the selectable switches of Pioneer Selector. Again the AUX terminals of these preamps were used to receive the signals from the phono stages (phono terminals of preamps are already engaged with other TTs).. The 5 pres were connected to 5 power amps. However with right configurations for MM/MC cartridges, I did not get any response/signal on any of my preamps even at the highest volume, although CD signal received on the other 'Tape' input of Pioneer selector played absolutely fine. I wish to use all the phono stages using the Pioneer Selector, need to know where I went wrong and how to get it perfectly working using the Aux terminals. Should I use another preamp in between the phono stages and the Pioneer Selector for necessary amplification of the phono signal? Will highly regard your contributions. I know my English is poor. Thanks.

 

[gramophilia]

To sum up, I can play CD signals to preamps (and power amps) through the Pioneer Sound Selector (DS 35F), but can't play any phono stage trough. I used the high-gain 'Tape' input on the Selector, believing the phono stages produce amplified signals, like the CD players, to pass through the Selector alikeand play through any Aux input on the preamp. How can I use the phono stages to preamps via the Sound Selector? Thanks.

 

[lini]

Did you already try what happens, if you connect the Luxman switch to the same tape input on the Pioneer switch you've already successfully used for CD?

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[woodj]

It would be helpful to know what's "inside" the selector.

 

[gramophilia]

Did you already try what happens, if you connect the Luxman switch to the same tape input on the Pioneer switch you've already successfully used for CD?

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

That's an option well advised, will get back after having tried with a CD player soon.

 

[gramophilia]

It would be helpful to know what's "inside" the selector.

I'm almost a layman there, but found rows of relays being used at every point of input/output terminals, all of which are working, as 2 of them already engaged with a tape deck (nakamichi dragon) and a CD player (Musical Fidelity A5) are working. The other 'tape' (altogether 3) checked with CD too worked fine, but no results with phono stages. Shouldn't the phono heads (named above) send high gain audio signals good enough for traveling long interconnects to deliver at any high-gain input terminals (say Tape)? Thanks.

 

[lini]

gp: So tape input #3 works with the CD player, but not with the phono stages, right? Would the latter mean just not with any of the phono stages through the Luxman switch - or did tape input #3 also fail with each of the phono stages connected directly? Or in other words, did you already try without the Luxman, so you can exclude that as possible culprit?

And regarding your signal level question: Yes, the output signal levels of the CD player, of the Nakamichi and of each phono stage should indeed all be in the line-level range - the CDP will most likely provide the highest of these, though.

And would you define "long interconnects" in a usual length unit, please? Because "long" is relative - especially for the male members of the human race.

Well, and I agree with woodj: A schematic or at least a block diagram of the Pioneer would make it easier to make educated guesses. Foremost it would be interesting, whether the Pioneer just acts like a passive switch and splitter in its line and phono level section or adiitionally features buffer amp stages. Although I'd deem a level-dependant problem pretty unlikely anyway.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[gramophilia]

lini and WoodJ< my thanks to both of you. I revisited the connections in the set up. It skipped to mention that there is a matrix switch for the preamps, which were wrongly selected to feed the signal through to the power amp, the phono signals seem to have been properly picked up and relayed by the pioneer selector. Once the preamp set up was correct, it sang sweetly through all power amps to the speakers. So Luxman switch lived upto its reputation, without lending any hum or noise. By long, I meant a 10+ feet interconnect running from Luxman output to Pioneer Tape#3 (good joke there, even reading it in "es!!!). The Pioneer relay is a line-level passive router only, Thanks again for the additional info explaining the signal parity and wonderful clues and suggestions so far.

Hope to be in touch! TC

gramophilia
Dhaka, Bangladesh