Phono preamp with multiple inputs?? Suggestions please!!

I have a TT with 3 Tonearms, the heart of my system

 

I luckily found a Step Up Transformer with 3 inputs/1 Out to MM Phono Input. 3 front selectable tonearms, and 4 optional impedance/x-factors, and PASS for MM cartridge. Any input can be MC or MM using PASS.

Fidelity Research FRT-4

An Entre 100 also has 3 front selectable inputs, PASS, 3 selectable impedances/x-factors.

They come Silver or Black

 

Other members may know of others. Front Selectable, some you need to mess with the back of the unit.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Preamp's MONO MODE

Mono LPs content: horizontal movement only, however, there is inadvertent vertical content: scuffs, warps, dust/dirt in the grooves.

Mono Cartridge Ignores ANY inadvertent vertical movement! Play it thru a Preamp’s Stereo Mode, or Mono-Mode: sounds very good.

Play Mono LP with a Stereo Cartridge: it makes NOISE from any/all inadvertent vertical movement, and sends that noise to the preamp. Stereo Mode: directionality is created, distracting from the intended mono. Actually Mono MODE will double that noise by sending it to both speakers. One solution is to play thru only 1 speaker (as they did in that era). That also avoids our habit of listening for excellent imaging.

This is why Mono LP’s played by Mono Cartridges is better: a little better or a lot better. I have aa few Mono LPs from the late 30’s, (think early Lois Armstrong, others when becoming great). Stereo Cartridge: history lesson, never play again. Mono cartridge, a musical experience, likely to play again, for yourself and friends.

You do not get imaging, but you do get individuality of the sounds of various instruments, identify the trumpet from the trombone, impossible when played with stereo cartridge, just a wall of mush.

.........................................

My friend brought his Beatles LP sets: Mono and Stereo Versions

Mono: 1st and every play: you are more aware of the words, story of the song.

Stereo: Great, exciting, but the ’improved’ sound, imaging does distract from the story of the song, until of course you have heard it a few times.

lewm,

this is the 1st time you have explained this and 1st time said I was wrong. If so, I thank you for the correction, however, what I hear is ....

My McIntosh mx110z has a Mode Switch,

I have Stereo and Mono LP’s, and Stereo and Mono Cartridges ready to play. I can play with all 3 arms engaged, and near instantly compare a,b,c with the front switch and MC setting or Pass, some volume differences, I make temporary pencil marks.

My friend Jim, met him here, is coming Thursday, I will wait for him, hear what we hear, old and new Mono LPs

 

bpoletti

thanks, I checked the maker’s web site, and indeed the gimbal is rotated toward the spindle a bit. It’s the Blackbird 12.5"

newartvinyl web site

 

I had VAS re-wire it, I may have positioned it ’perpindicular/parralel’ when I re-installed it so it ’looked good’!

I know how to, and will reposition it as you suggest, picking 7.5 degrees of course.

Just curious: please tell me why, what difference does it make? The arm never contacts the gimbal when fully in, and I have the Audio Technica Safety Lifter installed

thanks, Elliott

ps, my Acos Lustre GST-801 (rear arm), the pivoting yoke (gimbal with top cut off?) is 90 degree right angle to the arm, actually attached to the arm, whats up with that one?

wturkey op, everybody

Phono Stage: Remote, no true advantage I can think of. (let me know real advantages anyone needs phono or input remote for)

I suppose Phono remote control could seem to be a benefit for comparing the sound of a variety of impedance’s, however I have found it is not an instant comparison, and to compare the same passage you have to walk up, lift/move/drop the stylus into the same ’start’, so remote advantage is not real.

remote to compare cartridges: IF arms are on the same TT: you can have all tonearms dropped, playing, choose which arm/cartridge is active by remote, except there are volume differences, and different impedances to change. that’s also not instant, or the same passage.

comparing impedances or cartridges here, all 3 arms down, same start, thus same passage nearly simultaneously: we select specific passages, i.e. Eurythmics, Sweet Dreams: Dave Stuart’s electronic sounds/separation; Annie Lennox, this passage and/or that one; Footsteps fading on the last track.

for each cartridge: adjust the volume/impedance (or change to PASS for MM): listen, like shampoo, repeat.

I make temporary pencil marks around my volume knob, not perfect, but near enough, thus volume is adjusted before you hear _____________? You cannot see the pencil marks to change volume remotely, so do it while you are 'up there'.

Same thing about preamp remote input selection: nearly worthless IMO, you are gonna be ’up there’ changing media, volume differences exist even when comparing Streaming/CD/LP .... streaming, each track might be a different volume compared to the general volume of a CD or LP.

I’d much rather have remote balance, a true advantage to instantly hear the effects of adjustments. My Chase RLC-1 gives me that, the primary reason I use it.

wturkey

Musical Fidelity M6X Vinyl is very impressive, features I definitely want, and the price is very good IMO. I Want One.

Except I don’t. My biggest concern: it’s MM sensitivity is 5mv, which I find too high. Checking my cartridges, and data of a lot of cartridges I have researched: Only one: discontinued AT440ml had 5,0 mv output. 19 others, mostly currently available that I have noted specs on, and all my active ones are 4.0mv or less.

My McIntosh mx110z preamp, and so many others have phono sensitivity around 3mv.

Minimum impedance is 25 ohms and adjustable up to 1.2k ohms, I would prefer lower than 25, for some difficult MC cartridges (meaning combo of signal strength/coil impedances requires separate settings, some need very low impedance).