A Look at Affordable Turntable Preamps

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  • čas přidán 5. 12. 2019
  • There are plenty of options for phono preamps out there, many of which are, well, not cheap. But what about less-expensive options -- are they any good?
    Featured music:
    "Tokyo (feat. Kinnie Lane)" from the album Night Drive by Timecop1983 (timecop1983.bandcamp.com)
    "Awake" from the Celeste soundtrack by Lena Raine (radicaldreamland.bandcamp.com)
    "Shade" from the album Hypnagogia by Dan Mason (danmason.bandcamp.com)
    ---------------------------------------­------------------------------------
    Please consider supporting my work on Patreon: / thisdoesnotcompute
    Follow me on Twitter and Instagram! @thisdoesnotcomp
    ---------------------------------------­------------------------------------
    Additional music: "Remembrance", "Live My Dream", "My Lost Paradise" and "Sunset Drive" by Epidemic Sound (www.epidemicsound.com).
    Intro music by BoxCat Games (www.box-cat.com).
  • Věda a technologie

Komentáře • 555

  • @d.logic1
    @d.logic1 Před 4 lety +179

    that Little Bear preamp makes your records sound like a low bitrate internet stream!

    • @giladkingsley
      @giladkingsley Před 4 lety +8

      Well, it is

    • @eddyrocks
      @eddyrocks Před 3 lety +2

      where are you listening to music online that sounds like that?

    • @PikkaBird
      @PikkaBird Před 3 lety +4

      @@eddyrocks I guess he's from the past. It used to sound like that when we found music via *gack* RealPlayer.

    • @HedgehogDude18
      @HedgehogDude18 Před 3 lety +1

      I know exactly what you mean haha. Anyone that has watched a CZcams video around the 2005-2010 ere has heard what is most likely a 20 something KBS video. Before I actually knew what bitrates were, whenever I heard that washy metalicy sound of a low bitrate video, I would always describe it as "youtubey". Anyway yes, the little bear sounds like absolute trash.

    • @bitcoinman9202
      @bitcoinman9202 Před 3 lety

      🤣 it is horrible

  • @R0n8urgundy
    @R0n8urgundy Před 4 lety +51

    1st Sony
    2nd Music Hall
    585th Little Bear

  • @michaelwilburn1001
    @michaelwilburn1001 Před 2 lety +6

    Best review I've ever seen on an amp. Amazing quality and gave so much useful information as to what actually made it good or bad. Thank you. I wish to see you do more audio reviews like this

  • @danieldaniels7571
    @danieldaniels7571 Před 4 lety +24

    I love that you came to the conclusion that a low end early 90s receiver with a built in preamp was the best option, as that’s pretty much the route I would go without even considering anything else. Many years ago (mid ‘90s) my mother bought a nice bookshelf mini-system for her bedroom and still wanted to be able to play her records. She had a nice mid-‘80s turntable, but the mini system didn’t have a phono preamp; just an aux input. I simply used the phono preamp in a late ‘70s Pioneer receiver that had a blown power amplifier. Ran the tape output to the aux input on the mini system, hid it under her bed and left it turned on. Worked and sounded great for over a decade until she moved.

  • @eastender74
    @eastender74 Před 4 lety +2

    Wow! first video ever watched for this channel and I am floored at how good this was. I was curious about this subject and I got more than expected. Thank You.

  • @foobarmaximus3506
    @foobarmaximus3506 Před rokem +3

    Wow! I like this channel! Finally, a normal person speaking normally - and coherently about a technical topic. I really enjoyed this, and subscribed. Can't wait to view your other work. Thank you!

  • @WalnutSpice
    @WalnutSpice Před 4 lety +3

    I knew right away youd go for the receiver at the end. There's something about digital audio receivers from 1991-1999 that just makes them all incredible tanks. I have a Techwood receiver my dad bought through Rent A Center in 97', year I was born. He handed it down to me in 2013. It's never had any maintenance and I still use it to this day. It has zero issues, buttons have been cleaned but nothing further. Produces great sound with Phono, a tape loop and four external audio inputs with an FM / AM radio that I can get crazy distance with with a proper antenna. The versatility and sound quality in the even the lower tier receivers of the era is incredible.
    Everyone should still be using these, they are super affordable as well.

  • @raceace
    @raceace Před 4 lety +110

    That Sony punches above it's weight for sure.

    • @samschultz6106
      @samschultz6106 Před 4 lety +2

      Sounds like butter

    • @dmunz7015
      @dmunz7015 Před 4 měsíci +1

      @@samschultz6106The Sony is way more spacious that the other 2.

  • @cedarstuff
    @cedarstuff Před 4 lety +56

    Little Bear was unpleasant to listen to on that first track.

  • @zelphx
    @zelphx Před 4 lety +5

    I still have that same Sony receiver... and may now pull it out to use in my workshop; it sounds good, and never failed me. Only the lack of newer tech relegated it to the "old audio closet".

  • @nickwallette6201
    @nickwallette6201 Před 4 lety +68

    Kinda seems like the timing of the cross fades in the samples were chosen more as a creative choice, where the transition is during a drop, break, or other change in the audio. If you're trying to compare the sound signature of different processing chains, that's .. kinda the worst place to switch.
    This the audio equivalent of doing a composite vs component vs HDMI comparison where you change the connection every time the scene changes to a totally different set.

    • @randyab9go188
      @randyab9go188 Před 4 lety +24

      Agreed. Play the EXACT same music passage through each preamp to get a valid comparison.

    • @EsotericArctos
      @EsotericArctos Před rokem +1

      Listening to this now, although I can agree with you, the music has plenty of content to compare the three as you go through. It was very obvious to hear the Little Bear T7 has issues with the top end. It is no where near as bright. The Music Hall Mini has some very obvious noise, even though it has quite a bright sound.

    • @emiloguechoons9030
      @emiloguechoons9030 Před rokem +1

      Exactly, I kept thinking "does her voice sound warmer because of the preamp, or because her vocal style changed at the moment he switched preamp?", really frustrating tbh

  • @boburrides
    @boburrides Před 3 lety +1

    A man who is testing a turntable with Timecop1983 is already a good egg in my book! well done video!

  • @pervertt
    @pervertt Před 4 lety +3

    Excellent video. I was thinking of getting an outboard phono preamp a while back but am glad that I didn't. Sticking with my ancient NAD 7240 receiver.

  • @smallmonkeydick
    @smallmonkeydick Před 3 lety

    great video. Im new to record players and you gave me much more insight into the hobby than I was expecting to get from this.

  • @tjet500
    @tjet500 Před 4 lety +1

    Years ago in central Florida there was a Recoton factory outlet. I picked up a Recoton sp-2 Stereo preamp. I hooked up my AR turntable, the preamp and connected it to the sound card In my computer. I burnt a whole bunch of albums to CDs. The preamp is outstanding. Searching the internet you should be able to find them at a decent price. Happy listening.

  • @SoulSilverIV
    @SoulSilverIV Před 4 lety +1

    Another fab video! I bought my first turntable a couple of years back, and wasn't sure whether to go down the powered speakers route using the table's built in preamp, or splash on a receiver. I ended up going down the latter route, and I'm glad I did. I ended up getting a Yamaha A-S301 amplifier which is a new model, yet had a phono preamp! Paired with a set of Tannoy 7.2 speakers, it produces a lovely sound and I'm very glad I spent the extra on a decent amp. :)

    • @kaitlyn__L
      @kaitlyn__L Před 4 lety

      Didn't know Tannoy made home speakers! In the UK it's a generic noun for "PA system", as in "her voice came over the tannoy". Had assumed they specialised in industrial speakers for that reason, heh.

  • @TheAfroman
    @TheAfroman Před 4 lety +16

    I knew I liked you! Timecop1983 and Celeste?! Yeah man..

  • @piero914
    @piero914 Před 2 lety

    So happy to see someone else has the Celeste Soundtrack on Vinyl. I love that album

  • @ThriftyAV
    @ThriftyAV Před 4 lety +1

    My favorite affordable phono preamp is the ART USB Phono+... Good signal to noise ratio, accurate frequency response, and has a USB phono output, so you are not reliant on the sound card on your PC to encode the audio to digital. It also has a switch for encoding line level as well as phono level, and has an optional bass rolloff filter. As far as modern receivers, more are more are re-introducing phono pre-amps as an option.

  • @vileCR999
    @vileCR999 Před 3 lety

    Dude, need a second way of playing records for my mother, and this just the video I needed! Thank Colin!!

  • @beersn0b
    @beersn0b Před 4 lety +2

    I have a mid '70s Sanyo turntable and started out with a Pyle PP999 preamp. I recently upgraded to a ART DJPREII and the sound quality was much improved. It also had far less hum from the ground (yes, connected properly) than the Pyle.

  • @paznewis107
    @paznewis107 Před 3 lety

    Nice to see the Sony. I had the 5 channel in 1993. Now rocking a vintage Scandyna reciever from c.1970. I've just got a Behringer ultra compact phono stage, for my MiniDamp and SMSL AD18 😁. Haven't heard it yet, need to reorganise.
    Thanks for the videos Colin. All the best from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🎱🐙🙏

  • @PeterBrockie
    @PeterBrockie Před 4 lety +21

    You had me at Featured music: Timecop1983. :D

  • @MitchellHang
    @MitchellHang Před 4 lety +14

    Someone made a video saying that the Music Hall Mini is a rebadged Rolls VP29, where even the internals in both machines were completely identical.

  • @garrycope8923
    @garrycope8923 Před 6 měsíci

    Great analysis. I'm currently using a Sony Audio /Video Center receiver that dates back to the late 90s for my vintage setup, and totally satisfied.

  • @dxer22000
    @dxer22000 Před 4 lety +1

    I love the audio quality of my Marantz PM-6005 amp. It even has a loudness button, something rarely seen on many amps today

    • @fisch1139
      @fisch1139 Před 4 lety

      I have the Marantz PM 6006 pretty satisfied. But will probably try the Schitt Mani

  • @benjaminriggs6881
    @benjaminriggs6881 Před 3 lety +6

    I love the Celeste soundtrack. Beautiful piece that is.

  • @grasssnake7190
    @grasssnake7190 Před 2 lety

    Love the music Shade and Tokyo, great video 👍

  • @heyrec
    @heyrec Před 10 měsíci

    super video - after 25 years of cutting records for the industry I find lots of things to be explained to today's customers speaking about 'this is how the record sounds'. well, components are VERY important and need not be super expensive to work fairly well on a consumer level. But they matter. This video is cool!

  • @zwete
    @zwete Před 4 lety +2

    My Onkyo A-9010 does the job perfectly for me. Decent phono pre amp and optical in with good dac to connect my TV.

  • @AlanFenick
    @AlanFenick Před měsícem

    Two years ago I bought a Yaoin MS-23S Phono amp. It is a true tube (valve) phono stage amplifier. I use a Denon 103C Moving Coil cartridge in a Dynavector tone arm. Actually found it on Amazon a few years ago. The sound is exactly what wanted, very musical, but quite dynamic as well as having accurate reproduction. I did find it was mandatory to ground the chassis. Those who have heard it have been impressed as it has a quiet background. I have used it with a Shure V15 and a Grado cartridge with similar results! As I remember it cost $130.00 and it is a bargain. It uses two large transformers one for each channel and “rolling” tunes does make a difference especially with old Mullard, Telefunken and GEC tubes. It is musical and listenable.

  • @wastingtime9152
    @wastingtime9152 Před 4 lety +5

    A $20 Pyle ( I know, I know.....) phono preamp from Parts Express worked well for a project I was doing for a neighbor. Compared well against my Rotel phono preamp in the integrated amplifier I use regularly.

  • @midmodaudio6576
    @midmodaudio6576 Před 4 lety +1

    Excellent video, very informative.

  • @caseyholford
    @caseyholford Před 3 lety

    Shocking findings from this test! (Well, not shocking that the Sony did well, but more that the two standalone pres sounded as bad as they did.) Thank you for doing this video and I hope lots of people making their own turntable setup will get a chance to watch it.

  • @GiveUsMusic
    @GiveUsMusic Před 4 lety +1

    I thoroughly enjoyed this

  • @PicoFromTX
    @PicoFromTX Před 4 lety +97

    Dude, that Sony wins hands down! Even as a budget option, it sounds fantastic!

    • @Jil8840
      @Jil8840 Před 2 lety +1

      I agree. Sony the best by far.

  • @matthiasgutjahr2501
    @matthiasgutjahr2501 Před 3 lety +1

    Thank you for this great video. I can confirm the little bear sounds, like you recognised, a little muffled on my Goldring 1042 cartridge. And on my old Braun PS550s with a Shure M95e cartridge it sound far more open at the top end. Seems the combination of cartridge and preamp matters. I bought the little bear because my Braun turntable is 15m (49 feet) away from my marantz receiver (without Phono stage) and I like the option with switchable amplification just to compensate the loss in Volume due to long cables.

  • @NandoFerrerGB
    @NandoFerrerGB Před 3 lety

    Amazing vid! thanks for the info!

  •  Před 4 lety +1

    I use the little Bear with Pro-JECT Debut III turntable. To tell the truth, first when I try it, I return to the Dual amplifier built in phono preamp. But I use the Little bear sometimes, and I realized that after 20-40 hours using, it became a fantastivc phono preamp. It's good for classical music, excellent violin sound, and jazz, and everything. It became my favourite preamp. What we hear int this video through the youtube and our poor pc loudspeakers can't tansmit the real sound.

  • @holacomoestas101
    @holacomoestas101 Před 3 lety +1

    I just wanna point out that awesome print of night drive of timecop1983, really cool

  • @eazy_profit
    @eazy_profit Před 3 lety

    Thank you for the video! Very helpful!

  • @keithling417
    @keithling417 Před 4 lety

    The Schitt Mani at about 140 is a fantastic unit. It is very highly rated by many other reviewers. I am blown away by how my Ortofon 2M Blue sounds with this unit.

  • @TorontoJon
    @TorontoJon Před 4 lety +20

    The Sony receiver wins hands down, so thanks for posting this video because you've saved me time and money by not buying these ineffective tube amps. In general, I've been delighted with my vintage receivers (Sony, Marantz, Bang & Olufsen, Pioneer, Akai, Sansui, etc.). :)

  • @shutterguy_dude
    @shutterguy_dude Před 4 lety

    I am looking for a budget phono preamp until I came across with this video. Thanks to you I'll stick to my Yamaha Receiver with the Phono preamp.

  • @richardxstroker
    @richardxstroker Před 3 lety +2

    I feel like the Sony gave extreme depth to the highs, but the Mini seemed to have a little more bass. After hearing this, I really wish I would've kept damn near the exact vintage model Sony when I left my old house. Wonder if my dad picked it up when I moved out, because I'd love to have it after hearing this video!

  • @VINZBROWN
    @VINZBROWN Před 2 lety

    superrrrr great insight, sirrrr!!!
    thank you!!

  • @martin_kral
    @martin_kral Před 2 lety

    Thumbs up for spinning TimeCop 1983. I appreciate your taste, I do have Night Drive on vinyl too 😉.

  • @MisakaMikotoDesu
    @MisakaMikotoDesu Před 4 lety +1

    Nice selection of music

  • @timsalomons4734
    @timsalomons4734 Před 4 lety +2

    I have a Little Bear which I like, the secret is to change the tubes. True the tubes are not doing the amplification, but the coloration you heard here is from lousy tubes. Replace with GE 5654W (cheap on eBay) and run same comparison.

  • @MinoTheShow
    @MinoTheShow Před 4 lety +29

    Sony is my favorite of the bunch without a doubt, wonder how it’d compare with a ART DJPREII and a U-Turn Pluto in there

  • @Patrick_AUBRY
    @Patrick_AUBRY Před 4 lety +5

    The tubish preamp is missing stereo separation. I think the receiver is doing a better job.
    I use an old Pionner a-30 amplificator for the preamp/amp with a b&o turn-table. Yes old tech do wonders !

  • @NothingLikeVinyl
    @NothingLikeVinyl Před 4 lety +1

    I've been using an ART DJPRE II phono preamp since 2014 and I'm still very happy with it. There are much better options for sure, but I'm sure I'd have to spend a lot more money to get a noticeable sound quality improvement.

  • @sergeatar
    @sergeatar Před 2 lety

    Made my day thank's great advice

  • @foobarmaximus3506
    @foobarmaximus3506 Před rokem

    I have a vintage Kenwood Super Eleven receiver that I'm currently working on (caps). So I was looking at buying a "cheap" preamp to test my Pioneer PL-L1000 turntable. Now, thanks to this review, I've decided to wait until the Kenwood is back up and running. Saved me some money!

  • @kylehazachode
    @kylehazachode Před 4 lety +1

    OMG i grew up with that Sony receiver. As a mobile dj and live sound engineer, I always have extra rackmount preamps. My absolute preamp setup is using two DBX microphone preamp processors. I need to have separate preamps for both left and right channels. My right ear isn’t as sensitive as my left ear.

  • @DJPenguino51
    @DJPenguino51 Před 4 lety +12

    The Schitt Mani will stomp that rebadged Rolls (Music Hall) flat. And that Little Bear...sounds like a Crosley.

  • @crazyprayingmantis5596
    @crazyprayingmantis5596 Před 4 lety +5

    I can't hear the difference between the built-in pre in my Nad 3020 and my Rega fono or any other pre in that price range.
    So to avoid clutter and save a power outlet, I cut it out of my chain

  • @georgeanastasopoulos5865

    To me, I prefer your Sony receiver's phono preamp section as the music sounds more clear, has a bit more punch with the treble, and has this three dimensional sound, only my opinion. Thumbs up, very informative, thorough demonstration!
    I've got a Rolls VP29 Phono Pre-amplifier, made in the USA connected to my Sony STR-DH520 AV Receiver, both bought in late 2012, and everything works well. Up here in Canada, after 13% tax the Rolls VP29 preamp was a little over $100, from what I remember. Also it has a ground terminal, and an AC adapter; never had a problem with this phono preamp. Only that it does not have a power off switch, so that it requires it to be disconnected if not used. Why bother using up more electricity, money, maybe wearing out that green light shinning outside of that cute red box. Also since the cables are not exactly long enough, I have this phono preamp set on top of 2 wooden blocks on a wooden floor.
    Rolls VP29 Phono Preamp is as good as the preamplifier section of my Onkyo TX80 33 watt minimum receiver from late 1987. Therefore, I from my listening experience a moderately priced, well made phono preamp can perform well. Mostly my opinion.

  • @sk22ng
    @sk22ng Před 4 lety +1

    Reasonably good regarding an analog unit. Hope you get one of the apparently random good builds.

  • @JessHull
    @JessHull Před 4 lety +5

    I good cheap Phono preamp is the Schiit Mani, using one now and its a great bargain and great sounding preamp.

  • @douglasbonner6543
    @douglasbonner6543 Před 4 lety

    Watching this makes me happy with my Emotiva SP-1.

  • @AvalonEndures
    @AvalonEndures Před rokem

    I'm glad I watched the video till the end, I was about to buy the "Music Hall Mini" until you said not to!

  • @prockrog5219
    @prockrog5219 Před 4 lety

    Fun video. I had a Sony STR-GX315 receiver when I was a teenager, very similar to yours.
    I've gone through a lot of phono preamps since my current amp doesn't have a built in one.
    After trying out a cheaper NAD PP4 (replaced because of faint background noise), then one from Cambridge Audio. But I landed on the Pro-Ject Phono Box DS2 USB. It lets you select output levels, and has a nifty ADC with USB input for ripping LPs. It has 3 inputs, two phonos and one aux (so I can rip any format). Great value for money, even though it set me back $500.

    • @kaitlyn__L
      @kaitlyn__L Před 4 lety +1

      Pretty cool that it's a decent ADC too! Can you run it backwards, to output line level audio from your computer, using it as a high quality DAC?

  • @jasejj
    @jasejj Před 4 lety +9

    I've bought a few of those small budget preamp from relatively unknown sources over the years, and have concluded that none of them hold a candle to the tried-and-trusted preamps the major Japanese brands put into even the cheapest integrated amps/receivers of the 80s and 90s.
    To be honest neither of the two you reviewed seem as good to me as even the very cheap ($15-20 or so) Behringer PP400 (by which I mean there are obvious deficiencies in the sound, whereas the PP400 just sounds neutral) . The nearest I've found to a good budget preamp is the Cambridge series sold in Richer Sounds in the UK (Azur 640, CP1 etc) but these have been getting expensive lately.
    All a far cry from the 1990s when a genuinely good preamp like the Musical Fidelity X-LP could be had for around £100 discounted.

    • @kaitlyn__L
      @kaitlyn__L Před 4 lety

      Richer Sounds is a national treasure!

  • @stevesstuff1450
    @stevesstuff1450 Před 4 lety +1

    Yeah... as you showed, many 'vintage' receivers/amps of a decent brand, had great phono pre-amps built into them... a Sony, Technics, Yamaha etc will sound great!
    Of the modern pre-amps, the one that I've settled with is the Rega Mini Fono 2 pre-amp... it has a low capacitance input so it doesn't kill high frequencies from most cartridges, and sounds just so transparent, and natural, whilst being of a decent output voltage so record playback doesn't sound too low. In fact the only thing I don't like about is that the ground screw terminal is on the front of the case, and not the back... what were the designers thinking???!! Overall though, it's a fantastic sounding pre-amp, and only £99.00 (whatever $ equivalent)... oh, and it has a USB output too, for if you want to copy your records to computer!

  • @Albee213
    @Albee213 Před 4 lety +2

    I have two Onkyo top of the line receivers about 10 years old and they were about $100 each and they sound awesome for records and CDs.

  • @jonlouis2582
    @jonlouis2582 Před 4 lety

    You put out a good product, thanks.

  • @EddieJazzFan
    @EddieJazzFan Před 4 lety

    I use a NAD pre amp and have been very happy with it compared to the pre amp built in my Pioneer integrated amp from the late 70s.

  • @BruiserRev2
    @BruiserRev2 Před rokem

    very interisting, but most of all, Thank You Very Much for the great music! tokyo an shade, never heard of but i am an instant fan.gooing to but it on vinyl and play it on my pro-ject carbon.

  • @scratchback2001
    @scratchback2001 Před rokem

    Cheers from Australia. I'm a 61 year old gay DJ and Audio/Visual engineer. I've been around the block a few times but I "will not" include my 7.1 surround gear in my man cave for this test. In my bedroom I have a brand new Technics SL1200 Mark 2, the original version with the black base and grey plinth released in 1979 for sentimental reasons. It is fitted with an Ortofon Black cartridge which has a nude eliptical stylus featured. (a nude stylus is simply all diamond right up to the cantilever) My pre-amp is a Cambridge moving magnet pre-amp. After listening to about 30 of them at a friends store here in Melbourne, the Cambridge, a UK design with a phantom power supply was the best blind test of the lot and surprisingly only $80.00 which means it cost about $120.00AUD to buy. I used headphones for all the tests. Some of the $500.00 pre-amps were terrible. They were either muddy or crushed the top end badly. The output of the Cambridge pre-amp was fed into Auxiliary One of my PrimaLuna HP Integrated Vacuum Tube Amplifier. It is all valve amplification with 6 12AU7 pre-amp valves in the front and 8 EL34 power valves at the rear delivering 100 watts per channel into a pair of 8 ohm Wharfedale standing speakers which are 3 way 5 element and sound magnificent. My CD player is a Pioneer CDJ club unit which has a digital output but running high quality RCA leads is just as good as running a digital to analogue converter. PrimaLuna decided that an on board phono pre-amp was a waste of time because most people these days want to choose their own. My hearing is excellent. I made my own split cue systems to avoid hearing damage and I can hear up to 16 kilohertz. Great for my age. After listening to the Little Bear valve unit, I was stunned at how bad it was. It was a shocker and the only pre-amp worth considering was the built in unit in your integrated amplifier. Unfortunately with vinyl becoming so popular, these cheap pre-amps are flooding the market and not delivering anything real or logical. I'd look around for an integrated unit with a built in Tuner and a Phono input on the back. There are plenty of great units on eBay to look at. Unfortunately getting great sound these days can be very expensive but it's no good wasting your time on cheap garbage like this if it's gonna sound terrible. You can pick up some great combinations of speakers, an amplifier and a turntable and get great results. I cannot, except for the amplifier recommend any of the pre-amps.

  • @games4850
    @games4850 Před 2 lety

    I bought one of those Sony D311 amps second hand off eBay for about 40 pounds, really pleased with it. Sounds very natural even with the vintage ussr speakers I have 🙂

  • @allerbedste1
    @allerbedste1 Před rokem

    Thank you so much for this video

  • @pauliussulcas
    @pauliussulcas Před 4 lety

    Very informative video... Oh and video quality is very good as well. ;)

  • @mruppel2
    @mruppel2 Před 4 lety +2

    Timecop1983 😍
    Colin has such great taste!

  • @Kevinb1821
    @Kevinb1821 Před 4 lety

    I have a marantz SR7500 receiver that’s I use for all my music and home theater. It doesn’t have HDMI hookups but even with just optical audio it sounds just amazing to this day. I don’t plan on updating my marantz any time soon even though I got gosh I think in 2005.

  • @oakiegg
    @oakiegg Před 3 lety

    Thank you so much for the review and examples! I was looking to pick up the Little Bear but WOW that was crazy (and frankly, miserable) to hear such a wild difference. I don't think it's worth the gamble at $65 when it comes to just having a good audio experience. I've been wanting a tube amp for a very long time but it's looking like it might just be better to get a mid-tier receiver with a 1/4" jack. I have a great local record store that could have some nice used receivers and that's where I'll be looking at.
    Cheers!

  • @rogerfurer2273
    @rogerfurer2273 Před 4 lety +4

    Sony made some good sounding equipment. My dad had one that was very similar and very nice.

  • @russellharris5072
    @russellharris5072 Před 4 lety +8

    I have a Little Bear preamp and have had just the opposite experience.The first thing i noticed was high end like cymbals became audibly "visible".I run a systemdek IIX through it with nether the deck or the preamp grounded as these are already grounded through the mains plug.I tried a couple of GEC equivalent tubes for comparison and those subtle high end improvements vanished.I learned that these tubes were originally used for high frequency applications such as portable transceivers which almost explains why i experienced a high end boost but only with the Chinese tubes.........................

  • @DoomZoone
    @DoomZoone Před 3 lety

    The very reason I am sticking with my 1990 Pioneer rig. And still expanding it :)

  • @danielsimpkins9662
    @danielsimpkins9662 Před 4 lety +154

    The Sony is just a lot richer. The music Hal mini isn’t “bad”, per se, just not as good. The little bear is a cheap pile of crap.

    • @valeinikofff
      @valeinikofff Před 4 lety +4

      yeah. absolutely, that's my judgement upon hearing it as well.

    • @silasmayes7954
      @silasmayes7954 Před 4 lety +1

      Nah for it's price the Music Hal mini is an abomination!

    • @evowhite777
      @evowhite777 Před 4 lety +2

      @@valeinikofff Mee too, clearly the Sony, surprisingly!
      #vinyl4ever

    • @stevesstuff1450
      @stevesstuff1450 Před 4 lety +2

      Yeah... the Little Bear was very 'in your face' harsh sounding.....not good!

    • @GS-vb3zn
      @GS-vb3zn Před 4 lety +5

      I think the Sony crushed them both.

  • @davidtanguma6247
    @davidtanguma6247 Před rokem

    Thanks, great vid!

  • @despo721
    @despo721 Před 3 lety

    Nice test. Thanks.

  • @PhuckHue2
    @PhuckHue2 Před 4 lety +2

    built my own Muffsy preamp for $20 and the sound is killer

  • @ynk1121
    @ynk1121 Před 4 lety +3

    I've made this comment on all your speaker amp videos too... The best you can do on a tight budget is get a used receiver. My local Craigslist is beyond flooded with them as people upgrade to one that has HDMI.

    • @kaitlyn__L
      @kaitlyn__L Před 4 lety

      A video setup receiver, but using only the audio part? That makes sense. Like BD players for cheap SACD.

    • @anzaeria
      @anzaeria Před 3 lety

      I was on the lookout for an old receiver but the ones on eBay are priced higher than expected and postage is expensive. I'm based on an island so second hand stores and markets are a rare thing here. I also checked out the prices of passive speakers on eBay and they're selling for high prices too. I didn't see any bargains there.

  • @tomekkruger
    @tomekkruger Před 4 lety

    I watched with interest. Let me share my experience. Out of curiosity I checked the Sony STR-D311 diagram. The RIAA correction system is implemented in a negative feedback loop, as was done in all cheap amplifiers. This Little Bear maybe has the same solution to correct the turntable signal in the operational amplifier circuit plus an additional output buffer on tubes to add even harmonics. I think Music Hall is implemented in the same way as the preamplifier in Sony 311, it sounds worse maybe due to SMD components. I will add that my Onkyo TX-SV646 amplifier has the same layout as your Sony. They all sound bad, have limited space, different boosts in the whole band (correction inaccuracy), transient intermodulation distortion. The NAD 3020 (analog model) has a better fonostage. In my experience, a simple Class A amplifier with passive RIAA correction transfers the sound of the same turntable one class higher. If you want to have a good sound, buy a preamplifier constructed in this way: a cascade tube amplifier, RIAA passive correction, a cascade cathode follower. This arrangement ensures low output impedance, the current does not load the passive filter elements, which does not change its characteristics, and is a perfect match with the turntable cartridge. Not all tube preamplifiers cost as much as the M2 Audio Note. My hand-made tube preamp cost me 50 €. Condition: you must be able to solder, file saw and use a screwdriver. Simple design: triode voltage amplifier, passive RIAA correction and second amplifier on ECC83, of course class A (because in SE it cannot be done differently). It sounds much better than the preamplifier on Onkyo 646, Sony 311 or TA11, Sansui C77 or Fonica WS503 and other integrated devices.

  • @xr500t
    @xr500t Před 4 lety +1

    I liked your review and thought the Music Hall sounded the best. I also found two pre amps that interest me; the brand is Pyramid PR2500 and Pyle PPRE70BT. The 2500 seems to be right in line with the phono use, but the 70bt has additional features that I could use. However, the 70BT doesn't seem to be quite as suitable for turntables?. I intend to use this with my Sony Strdn 1020(no phono input) and I'm struggling in figuring out the connections and compatibility to use with the receiver. Both pre amps are very affordable, they have very high ratings on Amazon.
    I was hoping you could shed some light on these. I'm almost thinking I need to pair the music hall with this pre amp(70BT) to work and I'm not looking to have a gaggle of components daisy chained just to make things work.

  • @scottdavis0801
    @scottdavis0801 Před 4 lety +2

    I should be the poster child for The Schiit Audio Mani phono preamp! I've been through half a dozen phono preamps, and nothing sounds as rich as the Mani, unless you pay over $500. The Mani costs $129 i think.

    • @georgeanastasopoulos5865
      @georgeanastasopoulos5865 Před 4 lety

      Okay, Scott. However, a Schiit Mani Phono Preamp for MC and MM Cartridges up here in Canada is $368.99. Certainly this manufacturer, made in the USA, is worth it.

    • @ericjensen9091
      @ericjensen9091 Před 4 lety +2

      @@georgeanastasopoulos5865 I'd trade my Mani for an affordable, inclusive health care system.

    • @georgeanastasopoulos5865
      @georgeanastasopoulos5865 Před 4 lety +2

      @@ericjensen9091 Oh, okay. Good choice, too.

  • @victoramicci840
    @victoramicci840 Před 4 lety +2

    You can clearly hear the noise introduced by the Music Hal mini at 5:45 and, at the changeover, how clean the Sony built-in pre is.
    The Little bear was just muffled crap.

  • @andrew-xr1de
    @andrew-xr1de Před 4 lety

    I'm using a Marantz 2230 which has a very good preamp in it. Love the warm tube like sound.

  • @pryortuck
    @pryortuck Před 2 lety

    Great video! I'm two and a half years late but thank you for your video.

  • @antopsyco
    @antopsyco Před 4 lety +2

    The little bear sounded like it had a flanger or a phaser effect. The music hall sounded okay but the Sony STR sounded the best , brighter and sharper especially on that piano track.

  • @jimbasler1054
    @jimbasler1054 Před 4 lety +13

    I started with what we now call vintage gear,and I'm sticking with it. Any of the mid to late 70's,made in Japan equipment beats most of these new pre-amps.

    • @captainfallsalotatppic2508
      @captainfallsalotatppic2508 Před 4 lety +1

      Does not matter where or when preamps/amps are made, just so as long as they're point 2 point, no printed boards.

    • @baklap141
      @baklap141 Před 2 lety

      Totally true , today I connected my vintage Kenwood ka 405 amp (wich recently got repaired) to my decent LP player.
      Seriously the sound was 10 times better then before.
      Normally it was connected from a Little Bear pre amp --> azur 540r amp --> philips ah495 speakers.
      I always already thought that this Little Bear preamp was sounding a bit thin and lacking of clarity.
      I used a external equalizer to have a bit more control of the sound though.
      But today I heared the difference in sound , over the kenwood it was a much better overall sound compared to the cheap preamp.

  • @maurodegiorgi63
    @maurodegiorgi63 Před 2 lety

    great job mate

  • @troy8736
    @troy8736 Před 4 lety

    I've tried several times to hook up my Sony STR-DE 885 to my turntable and equalizer but never got sound.....!?

  • @bernercalito8422
    @bernercalito8422 Před 4 lety

    Very interesting video, I am a dj I bought a receiver Onkyo tx8522 years ago and it sounds good. I was planning on buying a turntable preamp a low budget type, just to see if it makes any different but I haven’t. Just to give you an idea why not buy a dj mixer (that doesn’t cost to much ) and see if that makes a difference and compare the sound quality to the expensive turntable preamp.

  • @cryptodream5092
    @cryptodream5092 Před rokem

    Great tutorial 👍

  • @arthurdent5870
    @arthurdent5870 Před 2 lety

    Man you look like a Bobble Head.
    Great video, helped me a lot!

  • @tommyb.6064
    @tommyb.6064 Před 4 lety +1

    Old receivers phono preamps, most of them are just right with very low noise floor and proper RIAA curve. Clean the knobs and you're probably good to go. Anyway, at the prince they sell at the thrift store, spend 50$ buying 6-7 of them, and experiment. You're best deal is there. There is also nothing wrong using half of a device for amplification and other half of a device for it's phono preamp. sometimes, only half of a device performs the way you want it to. make a stack, as we did in the past and enjoy it.

  • @shawnschnaufer4942
    @shawnschnaufer4942 Před 4 lety +2

    I have a vintage Sony ES receiver that I use with my Technics linear turntable and it sounds awesome!

  • @jrockn77
    @jrockn77 Před 2 lety

    Thank you for this. I just upgraded from an Audio Technica LP60 to a used Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Esprit, and have been trying to find out if I would also need to invest in a new preamp as well. But my Yamaha receiver has always worked great, so no need to bust out my wallet again.