Hi everyone, I just finished my K-12 amplifier build, and while it sounds beautiful, the output is unfortunately relatively low with my turntable. With my iPod, the amplifier pumps out excellent sound, and when turned up, can easily fill a room with sound. With the turntable, even with the volume maxed out, the sound is relatively low, loud enough if nothing else is going on, but definitely not as loud as I would like. I bought this amplifier with the primary goal of using it with my turntable since the specifications listed it as having an included preamplifier, so I am unsure as to what the issue. Will i need to install an additional preamplifier to be able to use the turntable at a decent volume? Are there any tweaks I can do to increase the volume with the turntable? Thanks for your help.
nope - you will still need an RIAA compliant pre-amp BETWEEN the turntable and the K-12
Plenty of cheap options in solid state, and in the meantime you can start building a hollow state one!
Plenty of cheap options in solid state, and in the meantime you can start building a hollow state one!
Ah, damn, I must have read incorrectly. Are there any inexpensive tube pre-amp kits out there? What are the best sold state setups for the least cost? Thanks for the help.
Bestest cheapest solid state RIAA preamp? Would have to be a Jaycar kit KC5159. US$10. You need a +/- 10 to 15V supply to run it.
Very pretty amp you built, love that cedar case with brass plate, very nice.
Very pretty amp you built, love that cedar case with brass plate, very nice.
hey - I'd go with a fully built up unit - your local rat shack should have one for under a 20 spot.
In the meantime, if you are so inclined go looking for tube riaa preamp designs to build. Our own SY has a fabulous build in his design "His Masters Noise" although its a bit tweaked out for my liking (code for "if it doesn't work its my fault as a builder, not the designers problem!").
Also check out the Bugle and Cornet from Hagtech .. Bugle is solid state, Cornet is hollowware and comes in two flavours - octal and B9A
In the meantime, if you are so inclined go looking for tube riaa preamp designs to build. Our own SY has a fabulous build in his design "His Masters Noise" although its a bit tweaked out for my liking (code for "if it doesn't work its my fault as a builder, not the designers problem!").
Also check out the Bugle and Cornet from Hagtech .. Bugle is solid state, Cornet is hollowware and comes in two flavours - octal and B9A
FWIW, I say build Hagerman's "Bugle". It's modest in cost, more than good enough sonicly to mate with a K-12, and, of particular importance, can be configured for different amounts of net gain. I suspect that 50 dB. of net gain is what the situation calls for.
Hmm, I just looked up the bugle..$150 for the kit is a little out of my price range after just building this amp. I think I might just pick up an inexpensive preamplifier locally and then build a nice tube preamplifier at some point down the road. When it comes to ultra budget preamps, what's the best sound I can get for the cheapest price?
Congrats on a successful build, 😎
Give it a week or so and the valves will have burnt in and sound even sweeter
Brgds Bill
Give it a week or so and the valves will have burnt in and sound even sweeter
Brgds Bill
Hello All,
I am with Eli. The Bugle is an excellent choice.
I use the Bugle as the reference RIAA pre amplifier to compare anything else to. I used NE5532 Op-Amps small external gelcell 12 volt batteries for a power supply and put it in a surplus A B printer box. There is a download article http://www.audioxpress.com/reviews/media/403hansen2090.pdf at audioXpress that compares the Bugle and other entry / kit RIAA amplifiers.
DT
All Just for fun!
Ideally though if I were building a kit I'd get something tube based and conventionally powered, since I wouldn't want to keep replacing batteries.
if simple 0-12V, a small motorcykle drycell starter battery would last forever
and today its no problem to find a small cheap pulse charger
they are usually designed to be connected permanently
just switch it off when listening
and today its no problem to find a small cheap pulse charger
they are usually designed to be connected permanently
just switch it off when listening
well, Im a bit confused here
sounds to me like you already do have some kind of riia/phono, somewhere
maybe its just a bit low on gain
a very simple preamp/buffer with gain would do
unless you are using old player with ceramic pickup
or someone gave you a low output MC
No - you NEED an RIAA pre-amp to mate your turntable to the K-12. Besides being low in volume, you will find that the output sounds "tinny". Thats because the signal needs to be re-equalised to match the RIAA vinyl curves.
I agree with your proposed solution Max - fast and dirty rat shack unit for the moment, then collect the bits to build your own tube item.
I agree with your proposed solution Max - fast and dirty rat shack unit for the moment, then collect the bits to build your own tube item.
That could work...except I'd also need to buy the $18 preamp power supply board, not to mention all of the components for it and shipping. That, and I'm really looking for a tube preamp to pair with my tube amp.
real tube kits will cost a bit more
Tetra phono preamp
just to make it clear, your line inputs will still be purely passive and not connected to phono pre
for those you would need a line pre with lower gain or a buffer
and if you want to use MC pickup you would need yet another preamp stage, usually called MC stepup
gets quite complicated, and noisy
That could be an option in the future, though it's currently out of stock, and with all the supplies it'd come out to around $160 + shipping, ouch.
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