Any suggestions for a power amp for my proposed turntable setup?

[cb10]

Greetings! After a long while due to kids, work, life, etc. I'm getting back into vinyl. In part because my 3 teenage kids, who have had a rock cover band (guitar/bass/drums) for the past several years, want to get into it.

What power amp would you suggest that also has bluetooth so it can double playing music from the kids' phones?

Here's what I'm planning for speakers and turntable. Ideally I would like to keep the power amp under $750.

• Speakers: Ascend Acoustics CBM-170s (first version). I've had them for 20 years, and they haven't been hooked up in 10+ years.
• Turntable: I'm eying an Audio-Technica LP120XUSB (built-in phono preamp).

Thank you!
cb

 

[DVDdoug]

You'll need some kind of "control center" (volume control and input switching, etc.) Some power amplifiers have volume controls but they are usually intended as "gain controls". It can work if it's conveniently located on the front of the amp, and if your amp is accessible.

A receiver is the "standard solution". A modern one will probably have remote control. You can find receivers with Bluetooth. The power amp built-into a receiver is usually "adequate" with plenty of power, distortion below audibility (if not over-driven into clipping) and flat frequency response.

If you buy an AVR (audio video receiver) you'll get HDMI inputs and decoding for all of the DVD/Blu-Ray formats. You'll also get an output for a powered subwoofer. (You don't have to use the surround channels or the subwoofer output.) Again, it's a highly competitive market and you don't have to pay much more than for a stereo receiver.

Other options are a preamp + power amp or an integrated amp but these are "specialty items" manufactured, distributed, and sold in small quantities and there is less competition so you don't get as much for your money. Remote control and Bluetooth will also be harder to find.

Turntable: I'm eying an Audio-Technica LP120XUSB (built-in phono preamp).

I'm NOT a fan of vinyl but that turntable would be on the top of my list if I were buying one. It seems to be in the "sweet spot" pricewise with "good enough" quality and not too high of a price, and it comes ready-to-go with a cartridge and a built-in preamp. (In the old days, receivers all had phono preamps but it's more rare these days.) And as a bonus it's got USB... The ONLY reason I own a turntable is for occasionally digitizing vinyl that's not available digitally.

 

[cb10]

You'll need some kind of "control center" (volume control and input switching, etc.) Some power amplifiers have volume controls but they are usually intended as "gain controls". It can work if it's conveniently located on the front of the amp, and if your amp is accessible.

A receiver is the "standard solution". A modern one will probably have remote control. You can find receivers with Bluetooth. The power amp built-into a receiver is usually "adequate" with plenty of power, distortion below audibility (if not over-driven into clipping) and flat frequency response.

If you buy an AVR (audio video receiver) you'll get HDMI inputs and decoding for all of the DVD/Blu-Ray formats. You'll also get an output for a powered subwoofer. (You don't have to use the surround channels or the subwoofer output.) Again, it's a highly competitive market and you don't have to pay much more than for a stereo receiver.

Other options are a preamp + power amp or an integrated amp but these are "specialty items" manufactured, distributed, and sold in small quantities and there is less competition so you don't get as much for your money. Remote control and Bluetooth will also be harder to find.


I'm NOT a fan of vinyl but that turntable would be on the top of my list if I were buying one. It seems to be in the "sweet spot" pricewise with "good enough" quality and not too high of a price, and it comes ready-to-go with a cartridge and a built-in preamp. (In the old days, receivers all had phono preamps but it's more rare these days.) And as a bonus it's got USB... The ONLY reason I own a turntable is for occasionally digitizing vinyl that's not available digitally.

Wow, thanks so much for the help. That all makes sense. I had an old Onkyo receiver that sadly was lost in a basement flood.

I was looking at the Denon PMA-600NE as one potential solution as it does have volume control and a remote.

 

[antcollinet]

Greetings! After a long while due to kids, work, life, etc. I'm getting back into vinyl. In part because my 3 teenage kids, who have had a rock cover band (guitar/bass/drums) for the past several years, want to get into it.

What power amp would you suggest that also has bluetooth so it can double playing music from the kids' phones?

Here's what I'm planning for speakers and turntable. Ideally I would like to keep the power amp under $750.

• Speakers: Ascend Acoustics CBM-170s (first version). I've had them for 20 years, and they haven't been hooked up in 10+ years.
• Turntable: I'm eying an Audio-Technica LP120XUSB (built-in phono preamp).

Thank you!
cb

For power amp, Hpyex NCxxxmp based amp.

Or for integrated amp, Yamaha AS701


I wouldn't stress too much about bluetooth, just get a simple reciever such as:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08XJD3F68/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[TimW]

That Onkyo will work perfectly well, but you don't have to spend that much to get the functionality you want. It's actually kind of underpowered for that price IMHO. Your amp doesn't need to have a phono input since modern Audio Technica turntables have that built in. Here are some alternatives:

Sony STRDH190 - 100 wpc
Yamaha R-S202BL - 100 wpc
Sabaj A20a - 90 wpc, compact, simple, no remote
SMSL A300 - 85 wpc, compact

 

[cb10]

For power amp, Hpyex NCxxxmp based amp.

Or for integrated amp, Yamaha AS701


I wouldn't stress too much about bluetooth, just get a simple reciever such as:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08XJD3F68/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks - I didn’t know such bluetooth receivers existed!

 

[cb10]

That Onkyo will work perfectly well, but you don't have to spend that much to get the functionality you want. It's actually kind of underpowered for that price IMHO. Your amp doesn't need to have a phono input since modern Audio Technica turntables have that built in. Here are some alternatives:

Sony STRDH190 - 100 wpc
Yamaha R-S202BL - 100 wpc
Sabaj A20a - 90 wpc, compact, simple, no remote
SMSL A300 - 85 wpc, compact

Great, it looks like I’ll have no problem keeping on budget.

 

[cb10]

I'm NOT a fan of vinyl but that turntable would be on the top of my list if I were buying one. It seems to be in the "sweet spot" pricewise with "good enough" quality and not too high of a price, and it comes ready-to-go with a cartridge and a built-in preamp. (In the old days, receivers all had phono preamps but it's more rare these days.) And as a bonus it's got USB... The ONLY reason I own a turntable is for occasionally digitizing vinyl that's not available digitally

I should add re the vinyl, it is mostly a tactical thing and listening to an album as we used to, from start to finish, as opposed to just using playlists (which is fine too).

My 3 kids consume and play lots of music: