3 Tonearms 1 preamp

Bob there are certainly passive preamps with switching or devices such as the Manley Labs Skipjack, which is a very high quality input switcher. The problem is that the phono signal is the smallest, and most frail, signal in your entire system. Do you really want to add a switch box followed by another set of interconnects and have that signal compromised even further? Not to mention the variable of capacitance in adding all of this stuff. It's not a desireable answer at all. Better to get a phono preamp design that accomodates multiple inputs, modify your existing phono stage or add other phono preamps and run then into your available line inputs.

Good Point Veridian. This is the reason I posted the question. The problem is looked at from others and the solution is thought thru. I have one question though, how does a phono pre with multiple inputs arrive at this without switches, wires and jacks in the path?

Bob, to do what you want to do is a compromise, and you will have switches in the signal path before the RIAA EQ lifts the voltage of the signal, unless you use seperate phono preamps into seperate line level inputs in your preamp.

That said, if you choose to use swiching, keeping the wiring as short as possible, with the least amount of breaks, makes the most sense, and that generally calls for switching right at the input of the phono preamp. You still will have the switch contacts and the short lengths of wire, but at least you don't have the breaks and cable effects of additional interconnects and their added capacitance as well as the overall longer signal path.

I had a similar dilema, three tables and one phono section, a Fon Lo Thingee by Blue Circle. I liked it so much I had a custom Phono section made by Blue Circle that incorporated three Fon Lo Thingee Phono sections put into a "Proper Box" with a Grayhill three position selector switch going to one output. Each phono section has its own input with selectable gain and loading. The design utlized the existing Biggee power supply and SP capacitor pack to save a few dollars. I think it is really great and perfect solution for me.

that is why I use McIntosh C20.....