Comparing ART phono preamps?

[ripmixburn]

Hi gang, I went to the hassle of making a table that contains the specifications for ART’s various phono preamps. I currently have a Rega Fono Mini A2D with a dead USB port and am looking to replace it. Seeing as these are all under $100 and the DJPRE II did well here, I'm wondering how these compare? The USB Phono Plus is quite a swiss army knife of features and unless I learn that the others outperform it significantly, it's the one I'm most interested in. Please sure your thoughts.

Specification	ART USB Phono Plus	ART DJPRE II	ART Precision Phono Pre
Frequency Response	10Hz–50kHz, +/- 0.5%	10Hz–50KHz, +/-.5dB	20 Hz – 20 kHz, +/-0.5dB
THD	<0.01% typical @ 1kHz	.01% typical @ 1kHz	<0.0010% {typical}
Hum and Noise	>90dB below clipping	> 90dB below clipping
Input Impedance	47k Ω/100pf (phono), 270k Ohms (line)	47k Ω in Parallel with Either 100pF or 200pF	47k / 100pf(MM) or 25/100 Ohms (MC, switchable)
E.I.N.	?	?	346nV, -127dBu
Maximum Input Level	40mVrms @ 1kHz (phono), +19dBu (line)	40mVrms @1kHz	440 mV (1 kHz, MM mode) / 44mV (1kHZ, MC mode)
Maximum Gain	45dB @ 1kHz (phono), 6dB (line)	45dB @1kHz	43dB (MM) / 63dB(MC)
Analog Input Connections	RCA (preamp / phono/line output)	RCA	Gold plated RCA jacks
Analog Output Connection	RCA (preamp line output)		Gold plated RCA jacks, 100 Ohms
	1/8-inch (monitor/headphone output)
Maximum Output Level	+6dBu (1.4Vrms)	+6dBu (1.4Vrms)	6V RMS / +18dBu
Filter Type / Response	Switchable, high pass (low cut) –3dB @ 22Hz	Switchable, Low Cut, -3dB @ 22Hz	Low Cut, 22Hz, 2pole
A/D-D/A	16 bit, 44.1kHz or 48 kHz, USB selectable from computer
	0.4 ms A/D latency @ 44.1 kHz
Digital Audio Interface	TOSLINK Opto In to USB,
	TOSLINK Opto Out from USB,
	S/PDIF coax (RCA) In to USB
Computer Interface	USB Class compliant plug-and-play Mac and PC interface
Chassis Type	All aluminum black anodized with integral rubber sides		All aluminum black anodized with integral rubber sides
Power Requirements	USB bus powered or		9VAC/ 500mA.
	7-12V DC or 9-12V AC @ 150mA (external)	7-12V DC or 9-12V AC @150mA
	Either polarity of the tip will work with DC power
Dimensions(HWD)	1.85-inch x 4.6-inch x 4.5-inch	1.85″H x 4.6″W x 4.5″D (47mm x 117mm x 114mm)	1.87-inch x 4.61-inch x 4.27-inch
	47mm x 117mm x 114mm		47.5mm x 117mm x 108mm
Weight	1.35 lbs, 0.61 kg	1.25 lbs (0.57kg)	1.89 lbs, 0.86 kg

 

[MCH]

I am also hoping to find one day a phono stage with USB with tested decent results and also wondered about the phone plus. Let's see what people say about it.
But in this case there would still be a problem to solve: How to hide it very very well, god the designs are ugly! must be an "art" I don't understand.

 

[mhardy6647]

I am curious about the ART phono preamp with an ADC in it, as well. Looks like a nice package for the $.
I presume that the phono preamp in it is on par with the little DJII, which by most accounts is perfectly decent.
Too bad the USB preamp/ADC doesn't have some loading options for the phonostage -- but, given the price, it is hard to complain.
My usual retail sources are currently showing them as "on order", though, so I don't know how quickly one might be procured.

Appendix: I've been thinking about ADCs and/or phono preamps (in that order) because I have been, as they say, ripping stuff lately. It's the holiday season, and I am slowly (slowly!) but surely digitizing our rather extensive collection of festive holiday noise (as I like to refer to it generically) and populating our NAS with it. Every year I get a little more done -- in, with, and under the peri-holiday kerfuffle.
Perfect sound forever!

example photo: Dec. 2019, hyper-cheap R/S phono preamp & ancient Creative Soundblaster thingy for ADC and USB to 'pute.

Jan. 2021. Same Soundblaster, same lappie (hyper-cheap and rather battered Dell) -- different source (cassette!). :

 

[MCH]

Cool, I am currently using a SoundBlaster X-fi HD in between my trigon vanguard phone stage and a raspberry pi with LMS.
I am happy with the result but would like to have a one box solution.

 

[mhardy6647]

Cool, I am currently using a SoundBlaster X-fi HD in between my trigon vanguard phone stage and a raspberry pi with LMS.
I am happy with the result but would like to have a one box solution.

I just feel like I should have one that's less than 20 years old.

 

[Chrispy]

I haven't been using my Phono Plus....assume it is basically the DJII with the extra features. Maybe I should send it in to Amir?

 

[mhardy6647]

I haven't been using my Phono Plus....assume it is basically the DJII with the extra features. Maybe I should send it in to Amir?

Well, maybe ask/tell/warn him first
But, yeah, in seriousness, it would be interesting -- I can't imagine it will "measure well", but it also costs a hunnert bucks ($100 USD, if the foregoing was too colloquial ) and it is likely fit for purpose.

 

[Chrispy]

Well, maybe ask/tell/warn him first
But, yeah, in seriousness, it would be interesting -- I can't imagine it will "measure well", but it also costs a hunnert bucks ($100 USD, if the foregoing was too colloquial ) and it is likely fit for purpose.

It's cousin has held up pretty well with the phono pres measured so far.....it's a pain in general to rip vinyl, with minimal benefits, so there's that, too. It's just vinyl, tho, only so much lipstick you can put on a pig.

 

[mhardy6647]

(Sometimes) worth the pain for things that are difficult or impossible to find in the digital domain -- and, yes, there are such things.

 

[Chrispy]

(Sometimes) worth the pain for things that are difficult or impossible to find in the digital domain -- and, yes, there are such things.

Can't think of anything like that myself I believe it, just doesn't apply to what I generally listen to. Just don't care for the medium in a few ways, even tho I still have it around.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

Personally, I'd want the one that can do the MC phono cartridges. It also has lower rated distortion (though it probably doesn't matter given the limitations of the format), and it also has higher output capability. Other thing to look into (actually maybe the most important thing) is how accurately each does RIAA conversion.

You'll need a separate preamp if you don't use an A to D converter and feed it to your DAC.

 

[Chrispy]

Personally, I'd want the one that can do the MC phono cartridges. It also has lower rated distortion (though it probably doesn't matter given the limitations of the format), and it also has higher output capability. Other thing to look into (actually maybe the most important thing) is how accurately each does RIAA conversion.

You'll need a separate preamp if you don't use an A to D converter and feed it to your DAC.

Never bothered with MC and ain't gonna start this late in the game either....then again there's a bit of RIAA variation out there in several respects....just another reason it's a rather poor medium.

 

[mhardy6647]

Personally, I'd want the one that can do the MC phono cartridges. It also has lower rated distortion (though it probably doesn't matter given the limitations of the format), and it also has higher output capability. Other thing to look into (actually maybe the most important thing) is how accurately each does RIAA conversion.

You'll need a separate preamp if you don't use an A to D converter and feed it to your DAC.

An SUT will take care of that.

Of course, the price of a good SUT will dwarf that of the ART preamp.