Phone pre advice - Would I benefit from this upgrade?


I currently have a U-Turn table with an Ortofon 2m Blue. I am running that into my Yamaha AS-2200. Reviews say the AS-2200 has a great phono stage, but I don’t know how great.

 

I’m curious to try the Elac alchemy ppa-2 and see if I notice an improvement to sound.

I plan to invest in a new table down the line most likely in the $2,000 range.

I am running Kef R11s in a well treated room and really enjoy my current sound. I’d love to hear more depth but currently have a very wide soundstage.

 

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

jwaller50

I’m curious to try the Elac alchemy ppa-2 and see if I notice an improvement to sound.

Would I benefit from this upgrade?

Yes. A good phono preamp is always a great addition IMO. this one will apparently be good for the TT upgrade as well.

Just a general comment. Even on a quality Integrated like the Yamaha AS-2200, they usually don't spend much money on the phono section and the Elac can support a lot of cartridges. However, your best bang for the buck might be a better cartridge first.

@russ69 UTurn doesn't offer a cartridge higher than the 2m blue, I don't believe their tonearm supports anything else, but I could just be really ignorant on that.

UTurn doesn't offer a cartridge higher than the 2m blue, I don't believe their tonearm supports anything else, but I could just be really ignorant on that.

If it fits a 2m Blue, there are a number of cartridges that will fit. Other than compliance and gain, cartridges are pretty generic 99% of the time.  

@russ69 I will email customer support, thanks for this suggestion!

Edit : I did find on their site that they use a standard mount. They suggest trying a Denon DL-110 MC. Has anyone tried this cartridge or have other suggestions?