How do I connect an old record player to my stereo?

March 4, 2006 9:29 PM

Stereoidiot filter: I recently purchased an older turntable and am unable to connect it to my (newer) stereo. Help!

I recently purchased a 1970s-vintage turntable (Dual model 1249) used. Instead of the standard red/white stereo connector wires, it comes with a shorter red wire, a longer black wire and a copper grounding wire. So... how do I connect this to my stereo receiver and what, if any, adapters are needed??

posted by huskerdont to Technology (8 answers total)

you're going to need a stereo pre-amp for sure. modern equipment doesn have a phono jack, and turntable signals aren't pweroful enough to drive a "line in" jack.
posted by cosmicbandito at 9:41 PM on March 4, 2006

NAD PP2
posted by ikareru at 10:03 PM on March 4, 2006

Turntables have a very low level signal with a high output impedance; that's just a function of the way the pickups work and that most of them don't have any included amplification electronics. Also, the frequency response is nowhere near flat.

A pre-amp (like the NAD mentioned above but you can get them much cheaper than that) will boost the signal to line level (as expected by your RCA inputs) and equalise the frequency response using the RIAA curve.
posted by polyglot at 11:32 PM on March 4, 2006

Check to see that the cartridge is stereo, red white black and green four tiny wires that hook up on the tonearm. from your description I suspect you have a mono.
posted by hortense at 11:47 PM on March 4, 2006

The Rotel RQ970BX Phono Preamp Equalizer is quite nice, better than the NAD IMHO (and I like NAD stuff), and there is one right now on eBay. Here is a review (pdf) from Sensible Sound whose mantra is good sound for the money. (Amazingly, although this review is available in pdf form for free on the Rotel site, Amazon has the gall to sell this same article, also in pdf.)
posted by caddis at 3:39 AM on March 5, 2006

"shorter red wire, a longer black wire and a copper grounding wire." -- that seems weird to me. Should have a stereo set of RCA plugs + a grounding wire. Can you tell what type of cartridge is on it?

If your receiver does not have an input designated "phono" you will need a preamp. They start at around $20 for a cheapie, or pick up an older used receiver that has a preamp, or a DJ mixer.
posted by omnidrew at 9:13 AM on March 5, 2006

It looks like the RQ970BX on eBay is getting too pricey. I wouldn't pay more than about $120 used, with $100 being about the right price and it is already at $100 with four days to go (people willing to overpay on eBay never cease to amaze me). If you just want to hear the records a Radio Shack cheapie will work fine, but if you move up to the NAD or Rotel units (and of course the sky is the limit in such things) you will get a dramatic improvement in sound. Above the level of these two units improvements are harder to hear unless the other aspects of your system are also pretty good.
posted by caddis at 10:14 AM on March 5, 2006

Get a Recoton phonograph pre-amp for $20 and an extra set of RCA cables. It will be obvious how to hook it up.

To eliminate the low buzzing noise, connect the grounding wire to one of the FM antenna posts on your receiver.
posted by bradhill at 11:45 PM on March 5, 2006