[Slaughtahouse]

Yep.

The phono preamp will have RCA outputs so you can either use an RCA to 3.5mm cable or RCA cables and 3.5mm adapter.

Your TT has a ground wire too I assume? That should be wired to the lug on the back of the pre :
View attachment 2515382

Exactly. Thanks for that photo. I need a male RCA to 3.5mm aux for output.

I only purchased / have a female RCA to 3.5mm aux as I needed to connect the TT to the existing speakers (amp).

And yes, my bose speakers sound decent and look nice.

I assumed I needed to find something more powerful before creating this thread. I didn’t understand my requirement for a preamp. Thank you T.sharp for confirming

 

[T.Sharp]

Exactly. Thanks for that photo. I need a male RCA to 3.5mm aux for output.

I only purchased / have a female RCA to 3.5mm aux as I needed to connect the TT to the existing speakers (amp).

And yes, my bose speakers sound decent and look nice.

I assumed I needed to find something more powerful before creating this thread. I didn’t understand my requirement for a preamp. Thank you T.sharp for confirming

You could also get a cheap RCA interconnect cable (male - male) and use it with the 3.5mm adapter you have. Might save you a couple bucks and you would be able to connect the preamp to anything with RCA inputs in the future.

Glad you got it sorted out 🤙

EDIT: you should snag a carbon fiber record brush if you don't have one already.

Amazon.com: Boundless Audio Record Cleaner Brush - Vinyl Cleaning Carbon Fiber Anti-Static Record Brush : Electronics

Amazon.com: Boundless Audio Record Cleaner Brush - Vinyl Cleaning Carbon Fiber Anti-Static Record Brush : Electronics

www.amazon.com

 

[Slaughtahouse]

True. If and when I get to that stage, i’ll definitely review what I need in more detail.

Trigger pulled on the preamp you shared, the cables, and the brush.

Thanks for all the help. I’ll share my findings after all the equipment is up and running.

Time to refurbish (sand/oil) an old teak media unit we found today.

 

[UltraMega]

Yep.

The phono preamp will have RCA outputs so you can either use an RCA to 3.5mm cable or RCA cables and 3.5mm adapter.

Your TT has a ground wire too I assume? That should be wired to the lug on the back of the pre :
View attachment 2515382



The Edifiers don't have a phono pre do they? You can't just plug a TT into line input, unless it's one of the chintzy new ones with a built in preamp.

Anyway he wants to use his Bose speakers for now I guess.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean but they are self powered, they do not require any extra stuff to work unless you need a cable adapter, but definitely no additional amp.

 

[Slaughtahouse]

I'm not exactly sure what you mean but they are self powered, they do not require any extra stuff to work unless you need a cable adapter, but definitely no additional amp.

They are self powered and compatible with conventional devices like computers. However, through my brief research, record players require a “phono preamp”.

Maybe the edifiers have the preamp, maybe they don’t. Im not too sure.

Turntable and Record Player Setup Guide for Beginners

The ultimate guide to turntable and record player setup. Guide includes recommendations on required gear/equipment and what to look for when purchasing a turntable.

blog.fluance.com

Anyway, my goal was to build out a cheap record player station with my fiancée. Reusing my speakers, even if they are very “multi-mediay” and not studio monitors, should do the trick. My total cost will go down significantly if all I need is the preamp / cables as suggested by T.sharp.

I use my 6XX headphones for PC on a typical day. So I don’t mind sacrificing my speakers for this project.

Maybe i’ll now need a dac/amp for my headphones. Maybe ill buy new speakers for my desktop. Not sure. Thats for another day.

On a side topic, for those interested… here is the result of 180 grit sandpaper and one coat of teak oil.

 

[T.Sharp]

I'm not exactly sure what you mean but they are self powered, they do not require any extra stuff to work unless you need a cable adapter, but definitely no additional amp.

Most sources (pretty much anything but a TT) output line level signal, for consumer electronics it's around 0.5V - 2.0V

Turntables without integrated preamps, which is pretty much every halfway decent turntable, will output 0.15mV - 2mV depending on the cartridge.

Vinyl is also cut with the RIAA EQ profile that must be corrected by the inverse EQ in the preamp : RIAA equalization - Wikipedia

They are self powered and compatible with conventional devices like computers. However, through my brief research, record players require a “phono preamp”.

Maybe the edifiers have the preamp, maybe they don’t. Im not too sure.

Turntable and Record Player Setup Guide for Beginners

The ultimate guide to turntable and record player setup. Guide includes recommendations on required gear/equipment and what to look for when purchasing a turntable.

blog.fluance.com

Anyway, my goal was to build out a cheap record player station with my fiancée. Reusing my speakers, even if they are very “multi-mediay” and not studio monitors, should do the trick. My total cost will go down significantly if all I need is the preamp / cables as suggested by T.sharp.

I use my 6XX headphones for PC on a typical day. So I don’t mind sacrificing my speakers for this project.

Maybe i’ll now need a dac/amp for my headphones. Maybe ill buy new speakers for my desktop. Not sure. Thats for another day.

On a side topic, for those interested… here is the result of 180 grit sandpaper and one coat of teak oil.

View attachment 2515415

Nice work dude! She lookin' fraesh!

I've been meaning to do the same with my teak coffee table. Lots of ring stains from people who don't respect wood...

 

[Slaughtahouse]

I can’t access the video (maybe I can VPN it later) but thank you for the kind words.

I need to do another coat but after letting the oil saturate the veneer, the colour really started to darken / pop.

I set it up tentatively for now. Preamp should arrive today. Thank you prime shipping / slave labour

 

[BinaryBummer]

What type of coil is the phono? BE sure to match it or it is compatible with what you select.

 

[T.Sharp]

What type of coil is the phono? BE sure to match it or it is compatible with what you select.

It's a moving magnet cart.

 

[speed_demon]

@Slaughtahouse - I just wanted to pop in and add that if you check out your local Goodwill/thrift stores you will every so often find quality wood cabinet speakers that pair well with record players. Anything with the Fisher brand name is worth a deeper look and my buddy scored a very nice pair of Fisher wood grain tower speakers not long ago for $35.

Because they are so big and bulky I'd bet you'd be hard pressed just to ship speakers for that much so buying in store has huge advantages here.

The ones we scored look like the photo below. Must have been owned by a careful owner as they don't show their age at all. Sadly one of the side effects after the covid stuff is that the market for vintage items is at an extreme low and deals are ever-present.

 

[Slaughtahouse]

Snip

The truth is that I was passed down everything need to get it going. Everything I received was original and from the 1980's. Including tall speakers (looked nearly identical^^), old amp/receiver, and the record player.

However, after setting everything up... I noticed why the record player sat unused.

The speakers were beyond repair. After removing the foam, I discovered paper towel was shoved in-between diaphragm / black suspension gasket looking thing. That was there to muffle the vibrations lol. Record player was missing the needle from the Ortofon 20 stylus. Amp/receiver probably worked but since it was a) giant and b) everything else was unusable without intervention, I gave it back and parked the project.

I think once we went into lockdown AGAIN and it basically lasting the entire spring in Ontario... my fiancée wanted to reboot the project.

So we ordered the new stylus (Ortofon 5E) a couple weeks ago, and she found the used media unit. I thought (unknowingly) I could just plug it into my existing speakers. Because they have their own "amp".

Next step was to validate a preamp. Which I should of known before labeling this thread "speaker recommendations" but I wasn't sure.

Fast forward to today. I have everything I need but the cabling. It should arrive today and yes, I ordered the preamp as recommended by T.Sharp. I hope it's compatible. I didn't know there is a difference between MM and MC cartridges...

 

[T.Sharp]

I hope it's compatible. I didn't know there is a difference between MM and MC cartridges...

MM is pretty standard. The Art pre is designed for MM, so it should be no problem.

You know how to set tracking force and anti-skate, aye? The spec for the 5e is 1.5-2.0g and they recommend 1.75g

 

[Slaughtahouse]

Literally as I was typing the above response, the cable arrived.

All hooked up and have it playing now. I have a lot of Rush albums that are in excellent condition (never played) and it sounds great!

Spoiler

@T.Sharp, I'll figure it out but to answer your question. No, I don't know. I assume I better get on that to avoid destroying my vinyls?

 

[T.Sharp]

Literally as I was typing the above response, the cable arrived.

All hooked up and have it playing now. I have a lot of Rush albums that are in excellent condition (never played) and it sounds great!

View attachment 2515626

Spoiler

View attachment 2515628

Noice!

Good thing you've got a cabinet to hide the blue LED 😄

@T.Sharp, I'll figure it out but to answer your question. No, I don't know. I assume I better get on that to avoid destroying my vinyls?

Yeah it's not good for the vinyl, stylus or sound if it's not set right. It's really simple to do though.

How to balance your tonearm: A step-by-step guide

Often overlooked, balancing your tonearm correctly is about the single most important adjustment you can make to how your turntable sounds.

thevinylfactory.com

EDIT: you can also print out a cartridge alignment protractor if you want to make sure everything is square

 

[c0rrupt]

Hi all,

TL;DR: I'm looking for recommendations either for speakers (active) or speakers + amp combo. Total budget is $400 CAD ($300 USD). I'm located in Canada.

Context:
I've salvaged an old record player. Fisher MT-273

Spoiler: Video of the unit

I also replaced the stylus (original needle was missing) with an Ortofon OM 5E. Basic stylus; Nothing fancy.

Now, I plugged record player directly (RCA -> 3.5mm) into my Bose Companion 3 Series II Speakers (multimedia unit for desktop). However, at full volume, the record player was audible... but not loud enough to listen from a distance. I assume the built in amp in the bose speakers isn't powerful enough to drive it.

Spoiler: Diagram - Record Player -> Bose

View attachment 2515244

In any case, its clearly not the right application for it.

Request:
I'd prefer to have better speakers dedicated for the unit.
Preferably something active so I can avoid purchasing more equipment.
The project (record player refurb) is under the management of my partner in crime
She wants it clean and elegant. I want quality sound and efficiency on the budget...
In the event we move away from playing vinyls, i'll likely relocate the speakers to either my TV or PC in the future.

I need your help to find the best value (cost/performance/size/appearance).

Questions:
What is the best approach?

• Active speakers?
• Passive + amp?
• Do I need a preamp in any of these situations?

We're not audiophiles. It's just a fun mini project.

Let me know if you can help!

Thanks

This has been said for the last 25+ years - "No highs, no lows, must be Bose" Your using dated equipment thats not even hooked up correctly. All you need is a Pre-Amped Dj monitor speaker (one is enough) - mixer. Budget and sound sometimes you really get what you pay for. Find some audio place near you and ask them for help. You want speakers with good frequency response

 

[Slaughtahouse]

This has been said for the last 25+ years - "No highs, no lows, must be Bose" Your using dated equipment thats not even hooked up correctly. All you need is a Pre-Amped Dj monitor speaker (one is enough) - mixer. Budget and sound sometimes you really get what you pay for. Find some audio place near you and ask them for help. You want speakers with good frequency response

I like your Bose response lol. Yes, I know they’re not quality speakers. It’s simply what I have but I expect some to rub the salt in the wounds

I assumed when making this thread I NEEDED speakers. I learned that I don’t. See pre-amp discussion.

Now, I need to validate that we WANT to go further with the investments (speakers).

So, we’ll be playing some vinyls we own over the next few weeks / month. If we are really enjoying it AND we want to get more out of our setup, I’ll spark the discussion again.

This isn’t really meant to be a high quality setup. I was more concerned with the spend to be straight. I didn’t want to dump $500+ into a record system we don’t utilize.

 

[UltraMega]

You should try and find some flac audio files that are the same tracks as something you have on record and I'd possible play it both ways on the same speakers and see if you can tell the difference.

 

[BinaryBummer]

You should try and find some flac audio files that are the same tracks as something you have on record and I'd possible play it both ways on the same speakers and see if you can tell the difference.

Hmm.. don't confuse them. They are still working on the mini system. Why no just invest in some used HiFi gear off the local CL/FB and get you a system up and running. I mean you can still run your computer through it as well. It is all about the ear you have and what sound you wish to get. I got a set of 3 way Sony speakers that are dime store garbage that sounded like a no life, I went back to the dinky 2 way Sony bookshelf speakers. The two ways produced a better bass hand highs then the other bigger ones.

I think once you get where you are you may want to expand out if your lifestyle desires it.

I think the 3 ways I paid 15usd dollars for and the 2 ways I paid 25usd for both thrift stare finds. I can say the 2 ways pair up with my former Denon and current Marantz. They don't get used much as they really need dusting and cleaning.
It is all cool but with albums never played it is best to setup a tape deck or reel to reel and do a first play recording then use the tape after. it preserves the albums.

 

[zzztopzzz]

I have a Radio Shack hysteresis wound turntable w/ diamond needle. You most likely won't find that one anymore, but the operative word is "hysteresis wound", which adjust for line voltages fluctuations and thus reduces wow. What you need is a stereo tuner and no need to break the bank as I use a fairly inexpensive Yamaha with my big screen surround sound TV setup in my basement bar area. I believe Best Buy is the place to shop - maybe in the $250 area. If you're not into 5 speaker surround sound then left-middle-right will do. I would check-out the Edifier line. I have a set of bluetooth Edifier's on my gamer and they are fine. Go to a shop that has some speakers setup and see what suits you.

 

[Slaughtahouse]

So just a follow up for anyone who ends up searching for speakers and coming across this thread.
We ended up purchasing a pair of Audioengine A5+s.
I added an Amazon Echo dot to it for wifi music streaming for an additional ~$25 CAD.

Spoiler: Photo

As it turns out, we really like the vinyl player setup and use it very frequently.

I imagine the next step will be to replace the cheap piece of furniture we got as its clearly too small for our current equipment.
After that, replace the TT / needle in the future but it will be a slow and steady project as time / funds allow for it.

Thanks everyone in this thread for help, support, and feedback.