The ART Pro Audio DJ PRE II preamp. The best preamp bargain out there?

What's really funny to me is reading all the audiophiles getting all riled up about tone controls because the phono stage is essentially not much more than a simple tone control circuit. Bring that up the next time they tell you real audiophiles don't use tone controls!

In theory if they all were designed to the standard RIAA curve they should all pretty much sound more or less the same since there is an objective standard out there to be modeled after. However, we know that modern designers tweak the RIAA circuitry of these units to make their product sound unique and at the end of the day charge more money, sometimes a lot more money. Hey they have to make the mortgage somehow I guess.

This Art phono stage looks very appealing to me because of the variable gain adjustment and loading. Looks like a winner. I might get one.

 

$40 at Amazon. I'm debating if I should pull the trigger to use with a Pro-Ject Carbon TT & Audioengine A5+ powered speakers.

Or would it be wise to invest on of the $100-$150 dollar phono preamps out there?

 

As a former ART owner, I wouldn't. My go-to rec for budget phono preamps is the Emotiva, which is currently on sale. I like it better then the ART, the Musical Fidelity, and Cambridge Audio options (all of which I've owned). I've even used it with higher end setups (Clearaudio Concept and VPI Classic) with very good results.

 

To me, one of the biggest pluses of the ART DJPRE II (aside from the price asked for such a great device) is its variable gain control, so you can (potentially, at least) set the gain level that best matches the output level of your cartridge (assuming you are using an MM or a HOMC cartridge). If you are going to get a phono preamp with fixed gain, ideally you should get one with the dB spec that best matches the output level of your cartridge.

 

I used to be like you...I thought the gain knob was all that.. I had a pre II for over a year, I had written down ±db values on most of my sleeves for where I thought the "knob sounded best". Then I tried a "real preamp" (a lounge) and discovered that all my records sounded far better than I ever thought. the Art Pre definitely "works" but its a far cry from "amazing"

 

I agree with all of this. I'm a former Art and current Lounge owner.

 

I think the one supplied is very noisy. I replaced it with a universal power supply that is dead quiet.

 

The best thing about the Art Pro Audio DJ Pre II is that you can skip the 100 - 150 € range of phono stages if you decide to buy one. In my opinion, the next upgrade after the Dj Pre II is the 400–500 € range or higher. For example the Ifi iPhono or as in my case the Trigon Vanguard Mk II

Another advantage with the Art Pro Audio DJ Pre II besides the previously mentioned is that it is easily converted to run on batteries and lower the noise floor even further.

 

I think the Art is hard to beat for the price. It is dead quiet and sounds great.

 

I have a very revealing 2 channel setup and I can hear the noise floor I believe is generated by the included power supply. I'm going down the 12V DC route and waiting for my battery to arrive to test and see if there are any improvements. I'll post up my findings . Cheers

 

I use a universal power supply that is not near as heavy and it is dead quiet.

The included PS stinks and there are aftermarket power supplies that are quiet.

 

I got a substantial upgrade in performance - not at all subtle - after switching to a big battery.

 

So, will a 12v aftermarket power supply be the same upgrade as a battery, or will the battery be better?

 

unfortunately, I'm STILL waiting for my order to be delivered... it's taking much too long and I'm getting impatient

It's my understanding that you can't really have a noisy 12v battery supply, so it's a better choice than even an upgraded or better ac/dc "wall wart"

 

Can you link us to supply you bought?

 

They don't make the exact one I have anymore. I have two and they come in handy for lots of things.

It is made by Powerline.

 

Although I think the ART is a good low cost solution, and I have used one often. The Pluto from U Turn just sounds better. It is a bit more in cost, about double, but for the under 200 dollar range, the Pluto really shines and I think is a solid option.

 

I like my Art DJPre II a lot, especially the capacitance loading capabilities and gain control. I've ordered a 12V DC Battery to use with it and I'm curious to see how big of an improvement it'll have...

 

Well, to follow up and respond to Bejitto, I did receive my 12v dc setup. Other than gaining a switch, I pretty much notice virtually nothing. Overall, not worth the trouble. If anything, I'm suprised at how good the supplied power adapter is (or, possibly, how bad my 12v battery supply is?)

I'm still happy with this little device and wont spend anymore time or $ on tweaking it.

 

Got my battery in today, there's less noise (and no 60hz hum) but very very subtle differences in sound (mainly slightly better clarity and the low-end is more bouncy and punchy), unless I'm just imagining things... Not sure if it was worth the trouble but hey, at least I got a power switch for the blinding eye of the thing now.

 

Was fiddling with the gain on this little killer tonight, and I think some of you should try this.
Calculate the optimal gain for your cartridge using the KAB Preamp Gain Calculator (in my case it would be 36db@1k, or +1 on the DJ Pre II) and then set the gain on the preamp to 3db lower than what the calculator suggests. (which is -2 for me)

Setting it higher than that setting makes the sound more compressed or aggressive and reduces low-end impact.
Setting it lower hurts the fluidity and articulacy of the sound and causes it to lose some of it's refinement.
What both settings have in common is that they muddle up the sound, in different ways.

This is what I heard anyways, feel free to test this out yourself and let me know if you hear what I hear.

 

I just did it by ear and came to the same conclusion -2 to -3 db is where it seems to shine with my cart. Enough headroom where a loud pop doesnt cause ringing and last longer than it should... love my dj preamp!

 

I took care of that with a little piece of duct tape.

 

I wonder if I'd see an uptick in performance from the onboard stage in my Rogue Sphinx v1. I've been considering options at multiples of this price. Probably worth a test drive at the least.

 

The ART specs show 45dB max gain. Is this with the knob at +10? If so, does that mean it has 35dB of gain at 0?