Help needed: difficulty using external preamp for turntable

[celphmade]

Hello gents! As a complete newbie, I am looking for some help.

Here is my gear: 2x Yamaha HS8 studio monitors, Rega Planar 1 turntable, Topping A50S pre-amp.

Turntable cables plugged in the RCA input holes in the pre-amp. RCA output to 3.5mm audio straight in the studio monitors which have built in amplifiers.

When I play a vinyl, at MAX volume on both the pre-amp and the studio monitors, I get very low powered sound.

Can anybody help me understand what I am doing wrong please?!

 

[NTK]

Welcome to ASR!

You are missing a phono stage. Output from phono cartridge needs to be RIAA equalized and amplified to line level before feeding into your headphone amp/pre-amp. Here is a list of the ones Amir has reviewed.
https://public.tableau.com/shared/Y...splay_count=y&:origin=viz_share_link&:embed=y

 

[celphmade]

Thanks for the prompt response! I will try connecting a phono stage and will report back, but it sounds like you are right!!!

Does that mean I should have avoided the Topping Pre-amp in your opinion?

 

[mhardy6647]

Does that mean I should have avoided the Topping Pre-amp in your opinion?

I realize you're not asking for my opinion, but here 'tis...

The "phono preamp"/"phono stage" that you need does two things -- it amplifies the very low level signal from the phono cartridge and it equalizes the signal being transduced from the record* via the cartridge, so that the output of the phono stage is a line-level "flat" signal like most other analog audio "source" components (e.g., a tuner, tape deck, standalone CD player, etc.). Both functions are mission-critical BUT, most phono stages don't offer a variable level ("volume") control, so...

No, you probably didn't waste your time or money buying the Topping preamp (assuming it's got a volume control) -- you'll need some way to control the volume of the signal from the phono stage so that you can listen to it at the loudness that you want in your room!

___________
* A special equalization curve is applied to the signal cut into the groove of an LP record, boosting the treble and attenuating the bass (a lot, in both cases!). The preamp applies an equal and opposite EQ curve to the signal from the cartridge to ensure a "flat" output signal.

source: http://www.beigebag.com/case_riaa_1.htm

 

[egellings]

You would connect your TT to a proper RIAA phono preamp, and the output of the preamp will be a standard line level signal that your Topping will happily accept.

 

[mhardy6647]

You would connect your TT to a proper RIAA phono preamp, and the output of the preamp will be a standard line level signal that your Topping will happily accept.

You crystallized the thoughts I struggled to convey in much crisper prose!

 

[celphmade]

Thank you all for your feedback and opinions. I am still on what appears to be a reasonably steep learning curve!

Hooking up a phono stage did indeed solve "the problem" - appreciate it!