QuestionHi,I am also on AllExperts in the gardening field so I need help from a fellow expert on a subject that I know nothing about.
I bought my son a used but in good condition turntable for Christmas.I paid about $65 including shipping for it.It is a Sony PS-350 direct drive automatic. I also bought a Panasonic Home Theater System with surround sound speakers.It is a new one,but I asked the guy that sold me the turntable on Ebay specifically if the turntable would work on a new home surround sound system and he replied yes it would work on any type of stereo system.
Well here is the problem:We have everything hooked up together going into the amp or receiver(DVD/CD player,TV,all speakers)Everything works great.Then we tried to hook up the turntable into the only empty port,which is the AUX port.We are getting a scratchy, barely audible sound from the turntable.My husband has given up on trying to get it to work and the guy that I bought it from can't understand why it isn't working.The stylus and needle are new according to him,which is why I bought it.What can we do to get it to play?My son has a bunch of vinyl record albums he is dying to play but can't.If this one won't work can you recommend one that will?Thanks a lot for your time!
AnswerDear Laura,
Always a pleasure to help out an allexperts volunteer!
The guy who sold you the turntable forgot one little detail: turntables only work with systems that have PHONO inputs. This is because a turntable has such a weak output signal (compared, say, to a CD or DVD player) that it requires extra amplification. A receiver with a PHONO input has that extra amplification, call "phono preamplification", built in. Otherwise, you have to get another component called a "phono preamplifier".
The input from the turntable is plugged into the phono preamplifier, and the output from the phono preamplifier is plugged into an available line level input (AUX is perfect, but any input will do--they're all the same electronically) on your receiver.
There are excellent phono preamplifiers at needledoctor.com (the LKG-PRE600 for 29.99 + S&H) and phonopreamps.com (TCC TC-750 for 33.50 incl. S&H). However, you can pay much, much more, but I don't think you need to.
One precaution. Turntables must be grounded--that's the thin third wire with the little horseshoe connector on the end. The $30 preamps do *not* have grounding capability. The $100+ preamps do.
(Although that's not the only difference that accounts for the difference in price. The $100+ preamps also handle what are called "moving coil" cartridges/needles. You won't have to worry about this because the Sony 'tables generally use stock "moving magnet" cartridges, by far the most common. Just to be safe, send me the brand and model number of the cartridge, and I'll confirm if it's one or the other, so you don't inadvertantly get the wrong preamp. Since you're an allexperts volunteer, please email me directly: KJEast@cox.net)
If you get a $30 preamp, you must ground the wire to the chassis of the receiver. You do this by unscrewing any of the screws holding the cover to the chassis--preferrably on the back panel--and screwing it back on with the horseshoe connecter in place between the screw head and the receiver. If you get a significant hum when you turn on the turntable, it's not properly grounded, and you'll have to keep trying different screws until the hum disappears.
BTW, a receiver with a PHONO input would come with a clearly indicated grounding screw.
Don't feel deceived. I actually heard a Best Buy salesman tell a customer once that a turntable could be plugged into any available input on any receiver. When he turned to do something else, I gently set the customer straight; and then set him straight after the customer had left. Turntable technology is so old, and so by inference am I, that most folks selling audio equipment out there don't know what its requirements are.
My wife is an avid gardener (we live in Northern Virginia just outside Washington DC--on the cusp of Zones 6 and 7) and will enjoy knowing there's an allexperts gardening shop.
Even though I think vinyl's seen its day, I still play my old records. They're fun and, when you know how to care for them, as every bit pleasurable to listen to as CDs.
Good luck. If you need any more help once you've got all the right equipment, just holler.
Kindest regards,
Kevin
