Dual 522 sound..a little muddy...

[Halcyon]

Hello there!

I have a Dual 522 TT, powered by a Harman Kardon 330c receiver..and going to a pair of NLAs. The sound from a CD player to this system is pretty good to my ears. The turntable, however, is a bit muddy. Is this an instance where I would need a separate phono preamp to clear up that sound?

Any input would be great. This forum has been very helpful.

Thanks!
Bryan

 

[jcamero]

What cartridge are you using, and how old, (if you know), is it.

 

[Halcyon]

It's an Ortofon cartridge, just installed. I mean, the sound is good, but not impressing me like the CD sound.

 

[skandl]

are you certain that the HK phono input is to spec?

 

[hi*ball]

What do the interconnects look like? Are they original?

 

[Halcyon]

They are brand new Switchcraft RCAs and I'm not sure how to check the phono input for spec?

 

[skandl]

They are brand new Switchcraft RCAs and I'm not sure how to check the phono input for spec?

I see my typo I meant the built in phono preamp, do you possibly have an alternative preamp that you can test against?

 

[Halcyon]

I don't have an external preamp. I did take a closer look at the tracking pressure and have it sounding a bit better, but it still feels like the midrange is a bit muddy. Maybe it's just the Advents.

 

[Halcyon]

I asked the seller about the cartridge and he said it is the original Ortofon. Either a DN 150 or 155. I don't have the turntable in front of me to know for sure. Would the table benefit from a newer cartridge? Are newer cartridges compatible with the Dual 522?

Also, I looked at a video for a Schiit Mani preamp today, which looked promising.

Begs the question, though...should I focus on the cartridge or the preamp?

 

[hi*ball]

If the cartridge is original, I would imagine that there are a lot of hours on that stylus. You might search out a new stylus for that cart and start there. That is and the this point the most likely suspect.

 

[malden]

I asked the seller about the cartridge and he said it is the original Ortofon. Either a DN 150 or 155. I don't have the turntable in front of me to know for sure. Would the table benefit from a newer cartridge? Are newer cartridges compatible with the Dual 522?

Also, I looked at a video for a Schiit Mani preamp today, which looked promising.

Begs the question, though...should I focus on the cartridge or the preamp?

It may sound better with a new cartridge but that would be mainly due to it having a new stylus. I would start with a new stylus for the Ortofon cartridge you already have. If it still sounds muddy, then look into a phono preamp.