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Phono input without phono section?

WillVT

WillVT

Super Member
I was on Reddit today, and there was a guy saying his preamp had a phono input, but didn't actually have a phono section. Has anyone ever heard of this? The unit in question was a VTA SP14 tube preamp. I always assumed that an input labeled "phono" contained a phono preamp. This seems really odd to me, and 3 things are possible.

1. He is wrong, and this preamp does indeed have a phono section.
2. I am uninformed and this is actually somewhat common.
3. It's just bad design.

Which is it?

(pics copied from usaudiomart)

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Aerobat said:
Makes no sense, it has to have a phono preamp/equalizer if it has a phono input.
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That's what I thought. Here is what he said:

VTA SP14 tube preamp. On the front selector switch it's labeled phono, cd, auxiliary ect. Its just a reference so you know we're things are plugged into the back i can plug my cd player into the phono jack and my turntable into the cd jack doesnt make a difference
 
It has no built-in phono pre-amp with RIAA equalization. Only an RCA connection for an external phono pre-amp. In essence, another AUX input.

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mrk229 said:
From the VTA SP14 webpage: "Buyers note - this preamp does NOT have a phono preamp section in it - it will NOT fit inside this chassis!"

Labeled phono for you to use with the PH-14 or PH-16 external phono stage?
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Mr Boochie said:
It has no built-in phono pre-amp with RIAA. Only an RCA connection for an external phono pre-amp.
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Ok, I guess it was answer number 3 after all. That seems pretty strange, and just asking for trouble. Oh well. I knew I would find answers here!
 
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I have preamps with Phono labels on the inputs-front panel selector and jacks on rear in some cases, but no phono amp inside, they are just line level inputs or not connected.

The Crown DL-2 had separate Phono Modules for LOMC “B” and MM cartridges “A” that can use any input but make more sense to be plugged into the ones marked Phono. The inputs on rear are labeled 1-8 and the Phono label can be used on any of the 8 input selector buttons.

The NAD S100 also has a phono input that needs their phono board installed to be of use.

It is just the way some stuff was built.
 
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Blue Shadow said:
I have preamps with Phono labels on the inputs but no phono amp inside, they are just line level inputs.

The Crown DL-2 had separate Phono Modules for LOMC “B” and MM cartridges “A” that can use any input put make more sense to be plugged into the ones marked Phono.

The NDA S100 also has a phono input that needs their phono board installed to be of use.
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The VTA SP14 is even crazier, with the threaded ground tab. As if it had the low-level phono input. I don't think I've seen that on pre-amps without onboard phono stages, since the turntable's ground wire should go to the phono pre-amp. :idea:

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The NAD S100 has the gnd lug but once open it may not have the phono board installed. Just like this VTA preamp.

And I would know nothing about this if a friend who followed me into collecting this junk when cheap didn’t have this NAD…sans phono board.
 
Not everyone uses a turntable, so no need to put a phono stage in every unit. Also if it doesn't physically fit, that sort of makes it a no-go. Honestly it could be any arbitrary label. Inputs 1-6 would be just as effective.
 
A "Phono" label means phono/RIAA stage in my book, no matter if the manufacturer should know better.

"We couldn't fit it in the chassis" is just a roundabout way of saying they never intended to have a phono preamp in there to begin with... Unless somebody snuck into the factory one night and replaced their cases with marginally smaller ones than the ones they designed.
 
Those are usually marked "External Phono" in preamps with those switch positions. Threshold did that, as well as others.

However, there are some preamps that have 2 phono inputs - MM and MC, but the MC only works with an optional head amp that must be installed first. The ARC SP4 is an example.
 
malden said:
I think it's a design choice

it makes sense if you want to experiment with different phono preamps but did not want to use an input labeled "aux"
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Roy started that and the new owner of Tubes4hifi just carried it over I guess.
I built a preamp that I had phono printed on the face plate, but there isn't a phono preamp inside. I do have a couple turntables, and did have an external phono preamp hooked up to it. My son is using it now.
Frenzel produces a tube preamp with two phono inputs. But the second one is line level. Its meant for a MC cartridge having a SUT plugged into it I guess?
I'm actually looking into getting a Frenzel preamp. My Aikido preamp is having new issues and failing again for the second time and I'm not going to bother with it anymore. I would have expected it to last longer than it did though.
 
I suspect if it's labeled Phono but does not connect to an RIAA section, only the line level section, it was intended for a standalone MC RIAA preamp.
 
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