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My Old Turntable.

Mulder

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Sep 2, 2020
Messages
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Location
Gothenburg, Sweden
I have a Thoréns TD 321 turntable. I think it was their last model before vinyl became obsolete. Until now that is.

Now. I have installed it again, and I must say it is a very fun way of listening to music.
I don´t say it is superior to digital or anything like that.
But, for the moment at least, I have realized it creates a kind of engagement in listening to music that I sometimes miss when listening to streaming music digitaly.

I have a phono-preamp without a volume control. For volume control i use a transformer - a Music First audio transformer. This also has the advantage of converting the RCA from the phono-preamp into a balanced XLR-signal. I have a rather long cable run to my power-amplifier - about 10 meters - so I think balanced is an advantage. My problem is that I has to either switch the balanced XLRs from the transformer to my DAC every time I want to change between vinyl and digital, OR I can run the my DAC through the transformer and just use the transformers switch and the volume.

My question is, do this setup degrade the sound of the digital? How good or bad solution is a transformer?
 
I have a Thoréns TD 321 turntable. I think it was their last model before vinyl became obsolete. Until now that is.

Now. I have installed it again, and I must say it is a very fun way of listening to music.
I don´t say it is superior to digital or anything like that.
But, for the moment at least, I have realized it creates a kind of engagement in listening to music that I sometimes miss when listening to streaming music digitaly.

I have a phono-preamp without a volume control. For volume control i use a transformer - a Music First audio transformer. This also has the advantage of converting the RCA from the phono-preamp into a balanced XLR-signal. I have a rather long cable run to my power-amplifier - about 10 meters - so I think balanced is an advantage. My problem is that I has to either switch the balanced XLRs from the transformer to my DAC every time I want to change between vinyl and digital, OR I can run the my DAC through the transformer and just use the transformers switch and the volume.

My question is, do this setup degrade the sound of the digital? How good or bad solution is a transformer?
Depends totally on the quality of the transformer. Good transformers like Jensen or Sowter are totally transparent so although the measured performance (mostly distortion) will substantially degrade that of the DAC, it nevertheless will be audibly transparent. Poor transformers will have limited level capability and high distortion, especially at lower frequencies where core saturation will increase distortion.

Music First use Stephens and Billington transformers which, in spite of the bollocks about silver or copper wiring, are up there with the better ones, so you shouldn't have an audible issue.

S.
 
Depends totally on the quality of the transformer. Good transformers like Jensen or Sowter are totally transparent so although the measured performance (mostly distortion) will substantially degrade that of the DAC, it nevertheless will be audibly transparent. Poor transformers will have limited level capability and high distortion, especially at lower frequencies where core saturation will increase distortion.

Music First use Stephens and Billington transformers which, in spite of the bollocks about silver or copper wiring, are up there with the better ones, so you shouldn't have an audible issue.

S.
Thanks for answering my post.
 
 
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