Turntable Phono to Digital Toslink / SPDIF / AES Suggestions?

[kthbrdy]

Hi all,

Looking for some advice on connecting a turntable to a Kii three set with Kii control.

I am looking to purchase a turntable in the coming months and would like to connect it up to my Kii Three speakers. Any suggestions on the best way to achieve this?

Thanks

 

[Soniclife]

Hi all,

Looking for some advice on connecting a turntable to a Kii three set with Kii control.

I am looking to purchase a turntable in the coming months and would like to connect it up to my Kii Three speakers. Any suggestions on the best way to achieve this?

Thanks

A phone stage of your choosing followed by something like this. Or a puffin.

 

[nutzandvoltz]

Hi all,

Looking for some advice on connecting a turntable to a Kii three set with Kii control.

I am looking to purchase a turntable in the coming months and would like to connect it up to my Kii Three speakers. Any suggestions on the best way to achieve this?

Thanks

Numark TTX turntable with a Shure Whitelabel cartridge is a nice combo. Granted you will not use the DJ functions built in it (BPM counter, etc) but Its one of the better constructed turntables out there. It was easier to set up with the "s" tone arm and doesn't have the weak channel issue otofons all in one carts have with technics turntable.

I own one and use it in my stereo system. It didn't replace the Technics Turntables I have in my DJ setup, but that is because the speed control fader doesn't have the right taper for my Trance/House dance mixing back in those days.


edit: forgot to say the turntable has a spdif output

 

[Philbo King]

A couple years old, but might be useful:

Buying guide: Turntables with digital output

Turntables with digital output open up many more connection possibilities than normal turntables, which require special amplification.

stereoguide.com

 

[Ruhled]

ART USB phono plus.

 

[DVDdoug]

I am looking to purchase a turntable in the coming months

I hope you know what you're getting into... I grew-up with vinyl and I'm never going back! Occasionally I'll digitize a record that's not available digitally and then I spend a weekend fixing-up the "snap", "crackle", and "pop". Of course, these are older records but new records aren't perfect either.

Note that "traditional" turntables were sold without a cartridge or preamp. Older receivers had the phono preamp built-in but it's more rare on modern AVRs and you'll need one with your setup.

The ART Phono Plus doubles as a preamp and an ADC. I have one but I haven't used it... The last time I was going to digitize a record I was having trouble with my existing setup, but after I bought it I found a digital copy of the recording.

Numark TTX turntable with a Shure Whitelabel cartridge is a nice combo.

Shure no longer makes phono cartridges.

The Numark seems to be in the sweet-spot between too-cheap and crazy-expensive. And it has a built-in preamp and digital outputs. And it's direct drive so there are no belts or drive wheels to wear-out. My direct drive Technics is something like 30 or 40 years old and I've never had any trouble with it (but it's only been used occasionally for digitizing in the last couple of decades...)

Audio Technica makes some similar direct-drive turntables with a preamp (analog line outputs) and USB and/or Bluetooth, and some of them come with cartridges. Virtually all USB turntables have line-outputs... If it has digital it has a preamp and they usually bring-out the line-outputs.

 

[wgh52]

@kthbrdy
Dear Phono friend,

the Kii Three is a very high quality speaker to begin with, so I would guess you would want matching, high quality phono experience as well.
If that is not the case, just ignore my further comments.
IF matching quality is the goal, just connecting "some Turntable with digital out" may (imho will) prove to be a lower quality path than you may expect!

Now: The Kii Three has an ADC built in (which Kii Audio claims they put special attention to), so why not use it for your Phono signal?

My recommendation: Buy a turntable and a phono RIAA preamp (with low output impedance) suiting your "taste" & budget, connect it to the analog inputs of the Kii Three and be happy. Yes: This means additional (potentially long) wiring, but I bet the reachable sound quality is well superior to a Turntable with digital Out and shows the qualities of the Kii Three with Phono much better...

Greetings and wishes for success!
Winfried

PS: You may wish to refer to this ART USB Phono Plus review on ASR.

 

[Soniclife]

ART USB phono plus.

Does that have spdif out? It has confusing labels on the back, that suggest you need to use a computer with it.

 

[nutzandvoltz]

Shure no longer makes phono cartridges.

That's a bummer.
my other favorite was pickering, but it takes a little fussing to get the alignment correct and dink with a head shell.

 

[kthbrdy]

Thanks everyone for the replies!

Numark TTX turntable with a Shure Whitelabel cartridge is a nice combo. Granted you will not use the DJ functions built in it (BPM counter, etc) but Its one of the better constructed turntables out there. It was easier to set up with the "s" tone arm and doesn't have the weak channel issue otofons all in one carts have with technics turntable.

I own one and use it in my stereo system. It didn't replace the Technics Turntables I have in my DJ setup, but that is because the speed control fader doesn't have the right taper for my Trance/House dance mixing back in those days.


edit: forgot to say the turntable has a spdif output

Thanks, that's a great recommendation although I think I will go for a turntable along the lines of a Pro-ject, Rega, etc. although I have good memories of Technics from my DJing days

 

[kthbrdy]

@kthbrdy
Dear Phono friend,

the Kii Three is a very high quality speaker to begin with, so I would guess you would want matching, high quality phono experience as well.
If that is not the case, just ignore my further comments.
IF matching quality is the goal, just connecting "some Turntable with digital out" may (imho will) prove to be a lower quality path than you may expect!

Now: The Kii Three has an ADC built in (which Kii Audio claims they put special attention to), so why not use it for your Phono signal?

My recommendation: Buy a turntable and a phono RIAA preamp (with low output impedance) suiting your "taste" & budget, connect it to the analog inputs of the Kii Three and be happy. Yes: This means additional (potentially long) wiring, but I bet the reachable sound quality is well superior to a Turntable with digital Out and shows the qualities of the Kii Three with Phono much better...

Greetings and wishes for success!
Winfried

PS: You may wish to refer to this ART USB Phono Plus review on ASR.

You are probably right in terms of getting best audio quality, the Kii converters probably aren't going to be easily matched in a lower budget. Like you say, the trade off is simplicity in wiring. If I purchased a Rega Fono MM Mk5, for example, would I be able to run phono to xlr directly?

 

[linuxfan]

If I purchased a Rega Fono MM Mk5, for example, would I be able to run phono to xlr directly?

Connecting unbalanced line level signals (such as the outputs of a Rega FONO) straight into a balanced input will work - 95% of the time - but technically it's a kludge. The correct way is to connect via a differential/single-ended converter, such as this -
https://neurochrome.com/products/universal-buffer

But if you have not yet purchased a phono stage, you might as well buy one with balanced outputs, suitable for your Kii THREEs -
the iFi ZEN Phono has balanced outputs and is just $200, but the necessary 4.4mm-XLR cable adds another $100 to the price.
Or the Schiit Skoll is $400, and was reviewed by Amir recently -
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...hiit-skoll-balanced-phono-stage-review.48678/