Phono Preamp Recommendations

I think anyone getting into vinyl would be well-served by looking at older preamps that included phono stages as a matter of course -- before line stages were common.

I know that my Adcom GFP-565's price here on Audiogon is way below what any comparable recent stand-alone phono stage would cost if bought new (or used). Awesome phono stage. And you get an entire preamp to go with it!

Using an Adcom 565 might solve the "input matching" level issue I have with phono preamps...although adding a lot of circuitry to the mix, you'd have some serious gain to mess with at the input of the main preamp...to make all the sources the same level anyway.

I use a Jolida JD9. This little beauty of a phono preamp is under $500 and performs on par with much more expensive models. Also, it is very easy (and inexpensive) to make some DIY upgrades that take it into the realm of multi-thousand dollar phono preamps. I wrote a little review here of the JD9 including upgrade instructions.

Bondmanp, I feel so silly. For some reason it didn't occur to me that the phono preamp would, of course, be plugged into the Radio Shack. And yes, this would almost undoubtedly lack the resolution to make out much difference. Ugh.... So often the simple answers elude us (by which I mean ME).

Clockmeister, I will probably give my ADS preamp a go with my turntable before investing in a phono preamp, but if I like getting into vinyl I will definitely get a phono preamp. I already have some nice equipment and don't want to spend more. The way I see it, there really isn't any reason to spend 'x' number of dollars on a preamp with a built in phono stage when I can use my Citation 7.0, for example, and get a good phono preamp. The citation is an excellent analogs preamp already, so I'd have to spend a lot of better it.

BTW, thank you all for the other responses. I haven't bought anything, of course, but if I do I am leaning toward a Cambridge Audio 540p. My main reason is that it is cheap and gives me a way to take another step into vinyl while keeping my investment low. However, I'd gladly take opinions on this piece. For instance, would it really be worth going up to the 640p for someone still experimenting? Things like that.

I would skip the 540P as RIAA EQ is active and it uses ICs. My vote would go to the vintage Radio Shack 42-2101A phono preamp, which you should be able to buy for around $30.00.

It is all discrete, no ICs or op amps and sounds wonderful. I had it at the same time as the 640P and preferred it by a wide margin. It does not have a high gain stage for MC cartridges however. Then again, using a $200.00 phono stage with a low output MC may not be the best idea either.