

If you are looking for a higher quality turntable with a built-in preamp, then the Rega Planar 1 Plus is your best option in my opinion. Possible the most popular turntable on the market. If you looking for a very affordable turntable with built-in preamp, I highly recommend the Audio-Technica AT-LP60XBT. These inputs are often labeled AUX, LINE, CD, TUNER, INPUT and ANALOG. If your turntable has a built-in preamp, and the switch is set to LINE, then it can be connected to all types of standard inputs on amplifiers, receiver and powered speakers. So you can choose if you want to enable or disable the internal preamp. On turntables with built-in preamp, there is usually a switch that can be set to PHONE or LINE. If there, on the other hand, is a PHONO output only, the turntable doesn’t have a built-in preamp. A turntable with a LINE output always has a built-in preamp. To check if the turntable has a built-in preamp, check if there is a LINE output. #1 – Preamp built into the turntableĮntry-level turntables ($100-$400) often come with a built-in preamp. There are four ways to include a phono preamp in your stereo setup. Phono preamps are also called phono stage and RIAA stage. We’ll look more into the purpose and function of the preamp shortly. The preamp essentially boosts the music signal from the turntable so that it becomes hearable. If you try to play vinyl records on a stereo that does not include a phono preamp, the music will be extremely low in volume and totally lack bass. Many turntables, receivers, and even powered speakers already have a phono preamp built-in.

But that does not necessarily mean that the phono preamp must be a separate box. Is a preamp necessary to play vinyl records? That is one of the most common questions I get asked on the topic of turntables and record players.Ī stereo must include a phono preamp to play vinyl records.
