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Phono preamp to amp question

I own a Eastern Electric minimax phono stage. It has no volume control and I plan on using it as my only preamp .I used a Nad c352 with it in the past using the rcas to bypass the preamp in the nad integrated. I will be using this in a 90% vinyl only system Is it possible to use anything other than a integrated amp since I have no other preamp for volume control? I would like to use a tube integrated but is it possible to bypass the built in preamp on a tube integrated and use my eastern electric as the phono stage without having to use or install driver tubes into the integrated amp. Can I bypass the driver tubes on a tube integrated?
davidnboone
maineiac
649 posts
 
David, it is still not clear how you plan on controlling the volume if you bypass the integrated amps pre-amp section. My integrated amp has this feature and it is called a home theater bypass and is a line-level input that requires volume control from another pre-amp or else it is always wide-open. I would recommend either getting a pre-amp and compatible power amp or just a good integrated amp and use as originally designed.
davidnboone OP
22 posts
 
I could raise my volume on my nad 352 when it wasn't going through the nads preamp-( or
) when it was going through the preamp. I preferred the sound from the eastern electric phonostage without running it through the preamp and only using the audio outs and bypassing the nads preamp. It was connected to the audio out I believe. It still raised or lowered the volume even though it didn't go through the nad preamp. I guess it has enough gain that I really don't need a second run through a preamp.
davidnboone OP
22 posts
 
Is there something that says a phono stage preamp has to be hooked up to another preamp to produce decent sound. I was quite happy with the nad 352,minimax, and magnepans. It sounded great with no preamp besides the phonostage in the mix.
maineiac
649 posts
 
If your phono stage doesn't have a volume control and you go directly from that into an amp then the amp will be playing at max output because you don't have anything attenuating the signal coming from your phono.

If you are talking about going from your minimax into an integrated input and then line level out to an amp (hooked to speakers) then you are effectively using the integrated as the pre-amp while not using the integrated amp's drive unit. This can be done but I would not take out the drive tubes unless I confirmed with the manufacturer that it would do no harm. What you need is a pre-amp.
yogiboy's avatar
yogiboy
5,661 posts
 
Get a passive preamp to control the volume on the phono preamp. There are plenty inexpensive ones that will do that for you. Check out Richard Lee audio,I use one to control the volume on my tuner.
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