Showing my age: New receiver has no PHONO input?

[cjolley]

Well, my 1978 Pioneer SX-580* finally died.

So I bought a new receiver, a Sherwood RX-4150, because it was cheap and had a lot of inputs.

In as much as it had been almost 30 years since my last stereo purchase, I had forgotten that the PHONO section needs it's own preamp. AUX is not sensitive enough.

I suppose it dates me, but I had no idea it was even possible to buy a regular receiver with with no PHONO inputs.

I found a separate preamp for $26 including shipping, that I hope will do OK for the rare times we play any of our old albums.

When did this happen?


*

This unit is the audiophile's dream, the cream of the crop for vintage PIONEER components...

$435 !? what a laugh. This thing was mediocre at best.
The new one for $85 is strikingly better audio-wise.

[gt40]

Phono what???
Even if the aux input did have enough gain, the thing would sound like poop.
Phono inputs where heavily equalized.
now try to find a phono preamp that is switchable between moving magnet and moving coil - the equalization for these was slightly different.

[cjolley]

...
now try to find a phono preamp that is switchable between moving magnet and moving coil - the equalization for these was slightly different.

Well, that was easy.
Next time I have $7300 to burn I might just pick one up.

[gt40]

That's what an item like that costs, when you only build one

[VJ]

My Onkyo Integra 9711 (purchased around 1994) already lacked a phono input, but offers 7 high quality inputs (all with the same specifications).

I do have the impression that phono inputs are making a minor comeback though, looking at the current Marantz range.

Jörg

[ZokesPro]

My 1980's JVC R-S33 Super-A has phono inputs.

[Fluff]

retro

What I have in loft needs a bit of repair volume crackes when turned. Loved the thing.

[az]

Behringer make good, relatively cheap components. For example, it's hard to find a cheaper good D/A converter than the Behringer Ultramatch, which does a whole lot of other things, too (but isn't exactly living room compatible, being a 19" rack studio device). And 26 USD for a phono amp is really quite cheap.

[KvHagedorn]

Well, my 1978 Pioneer SX-580* finally died.

So I bought a new receiver, a Sherwood RX-4150, because it was cheap and had a lot of inputs.

Well that was your first mistake. I'm really disappointed that you're one of those who will buy something just because it is cheap. There's a lot of cheap crap out there, but you could afford $250 for a Yamaha RX397, which HAS a phono input (something a competent dealer -- like me -- could have steered you towards) plus, it has discrete component outputs and MUCH better sound than the Sherwood. Has a two year warranty as well, because with all the Yamaha we sell, we rarely see one break. If you had had any other criteria other than what was cheapest, you would be enjoying your music a lot more now. Too bad you didn't ask for opinions here before you bought.

[cjolley]

Well that was your first mistake. I'm really disappointed that you're one of those who will buy something just because it is cheap. There's a lot of cheap crap out there, but you could afford $250 for a Yamaha RX397, which HAS a phono input (something a competent dealer -- like me -- could have steered you towards) plus, it has discrete component outputs and MUCH better sound than the Sherwood. Has a two year warranty as well, because with all the Yamaha we sell, we rarely see one break. If you had had any other criteria other than what was cheapest, you would be enjoying your music a lot more now. Too bad you didn't ask for opinions here before you bought.

I might have been exaggerating a bit when I said that the only reason was that it was cheap.
It also got really good user reviews everywhere I looked.

Besides, our speakers are 1978 Technics SB-L50s.
So the extra $125 for the Yamaha would have been completely wasted unless I wanted to replace the speakers too. Which I didn't.

Though, your point about not asking here first is true. I would have liked to.
But, we turned the old one on the day before we we left on vacation and the VUs maxed and a 60hz hum came out of the speakers. So I just got the quickest thing that met my requirements and moved on.
Sometimes life is like that.

[Dr Mordrid]

We still have our old Marantz, but all it's used for is transferring albums to disc before putting them into storage.

[cjolley]

We still have our old Marantz, but all it's used for is transferring albums to disc before putting them into storage.

You can use that PHONO preamp I posted to hook your turntable directly to your computer if you want.

[Dr Mordrid]

Workflow is: a Marantz 6200 turntable to a SimAudio MOON P3 preamp into the audio workstations Echo GINA 24/96 then we smooge the result in Cubase

[cjolley]

I thought you meant you used a Marantz tuner for the job.

Our workflow is: Go to the store* and buy a cd of the album we want on disk.

*or possibly order it online.

[cjolley]

Well, the preamp arrived.
It works a treat. Though the output is not as high as, say, our CD player.
Still, it works fine.
All those pops and hisses sound just like I remember them