Recomendation upgrade LP60x built in phono preamp

[Gabriel3_89]

Hello, i'm a new member from Italy, i like this forum and all the beautiful devices reviews with plenty of precise and useful data!
I would like some advice:
I've an Lp60x, (it's my first turntable and i'm very satisfied), that is connected to an onkyo 606 avr. Compared to other sources i need to crank up the volume much more, i know that the signal of a turntables is much more weak then say a cd player, so this is in part normal. But i was wondering if adding a phono preamp (and obviously excluding the LP60x built in) could solve the problem. And maybe improve sound quality... The focus is acquire more volume and dynamic.

Budget is about 100€
I found:
ART DJPRE-2 67€ (but i'm concerned about phase problems seen in the review)
Pro-Ject Phono Box MM 69€
Fosi Audio BOX X2 69€
Fosi Audio Box X4 85€
iFi ZEN Air Phono 113€
Real Cable MINI-LP50 75€

I like Geat Punchy Bass!

which one do you recommend? And do you recommend anything else in this price range?

Thank you

 

[DSJR]

Hi - and welcome to your introduction to the wacky subjective world of vinyl playback.

Forgive me for slipping back into dealer mode here, but there really is a hierarchy where vinyl reproduction is concerned. The phono stage is only as good as the deck first, then the arm and next the cartridge feeding it and in this case as a complete player, I suspect the built in phono stage will be fine and I wouldn't spend extra money here myself..

The thing I'd like to change is the 3600L stylus BUT, there doesn't seem a way of adjusting tracking downforce on this arm (I can't find a service manual and the instructions tell me nothing). 'Better' styli for this cartridge body would be an Rega Carbon/AT91 or 91R the latter with aluminium cantilever, or a nice find in Europe, the Thakker EPO-E/Dual DN251E elliptical from Wm Thakker in Germany. The thing is, all these alternatives track at 2g or slightly less where the longtime-popular 3600L tracks at 3 - 3.5g. the others I've mentioned will collapse at 3g or more and if you can't change downforce on this arm, PLEASE don't do it in the hope it may work.

PLEASE don't take offence here, but may I suggest you enjoy the player as it is and maybe in time, look to the next steps up for vinyl players. AT do some popular decks more solidly made with adjustable tonearms which I sadly don't know and if in the UK, the Rega Planar 1 is an ever-endearing favourite and is also available with a built in phono stage. ProJect also have a confusing range of 'decks for everyone' which confused me even when I sold them!!!

My entry-level phono stage would probably be a Schiit Mani II (or in the UK, a Rega Fono MM), but they're double your budget and I honestly don't think you'd hear a notable difference. If you wish for a deck upgrade in future, then I'd suggest you save and pay the extra and maybe do the whole thing at once.

In the meantime, make sure the deck you have is carefully isolated on a solid shelf or support well out of room corners and as far away from thre speakers as possible. Acoustic feedback has a pronounced deleterious sonic effect long before 'howlround' starts and these decks respond hugely beneficially to good support and isolation.

Sorry if I'm not telling you what you want to know. I do mean well though - honest I do

 

[Gabriel3_89]

Seems that 3600l, Rega carbon and AT91 are very similar, some says that are nearly the same. Thank you for your feedback, for a while i don't think to do big update, i wanted to try an external pre phono because i think that it would be the main rensponsible for achieve higher volume (and maybe less distorsion?).
With some records i need to turn up the volume of avr to an high level and i would like to have a good reserve of dynamics. My Avr past "60" volume show the first sign of noise floor. With any other source i rarely past "50" because it is really loud, but with the turntable and some records i sometimes go to 60 - 62 for reach loud listening volume.

Lp60x specs show that it has 36 db of preamp gain and a S/N > 50 DB. Some of the phono preamp i listed has up to 45 db of gain. I think that should guarantee a good boost over the built in, right?

 

[Angsty]

A Cambridge Duo in Italy...

Review and Measurements of Cambridge Audio Duo Phono Preamp

I need me to get one of those, but they are rare in the used markets here :) I don't understand, 74dB of noise (MM) is 6dB smaller than 80dB of noise (MC)? Sorry, I missed the (all Important minus) -74dB and -80dB :)

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