Budget Preamps?

Hey!

So continued to do some more research and apparently a bad or badly matching phono preamp could be the catalyst of the clicks and pops in my system? I have a 6 year old Pro-Ject Phono Box MM hooked up to the SL1350 and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for potential upgrades, specifically, if that preamp has some sort of way of mitigating or removing those godforsaken clicks and pops. Thanks!

 

Unless the clicks and pops are happening even when not playing a record, a new preamp won't get rid of them. Better preamps, and better matching between the preamp and cartridge, can help render those non-musical impulses in a more pleasing manner, and help to separate them in space from the music, making them less intrusive. Tube preamps with very high overload margins, and most non-feedback type preamps, tend to do a better job of that, in my experience, and I think many LOMC cartridges minimize them too, probably because the resonance frequency is moved up beyond the audio range, but still no substitute for clean, undamaged records.

 

I see. Still getting my bearings with the hobby so my logic may no be totally correct.

The last three records i ordered had crazy amounts of cracks and pops, all sealed new from different sellers. It's like no matter what I do, those pops show up and sour the experience significantly, hell even more to my recollection than the ATLP60 I had YEARs ago.

So if a preamp isnt going to be a solution to this issue, what could possibly be one?

 

I don't know, most of the new records I buy are pretty quiet. If they were full of ticks and pops, I would probably be tempted to return them. But buying records has always been a gamble, sometimes you get bad ones. Are these old records that are still sealed, or new pressings? Audiophile pressings, or just normal? Major releases, or indie labels? Some cartridges and/or stylus profiles can help minimize the issue too. And wet cleaning, or using a spritz of water on your record brush, if some of the problems are caused by static.

 

Nah their relatively new. Most recent is a repress from a 2019 album and the oldest was a 2017 reissue of Psychic TV's Allegory and Self.

I've been also eyeing a Nagaoka cart since i hear they are "surface noise killers", but im hesitant on pulling the trigger on anything else until i know im relatively sure that my purchase with solve some of the issues im facing.

Most of these are indie labels but i'd arguable say that the worst offender in my entire collection is from a 2019 Sub-Pop record.

 

I haven’t had a new record sound bad in that manner since I started cleaning them before they even make it on the platter. A few with an occasional pop but percentage wise, very few.

Sorry you’re having such a run of bad luck.

 

I'd check out the hagerman Bugle 3.
Very quiet.
Phono

 

Too much gain can cause the issues you are talking about. If I was doing a budget system I would look at Vista. It's a really good preamp AND highly adaptable. In fact, you can do a custom loading using you own resistors. That makes the sound tweaking options immense.

Vista Audio - one step ahead

 

What cartridge and stylus do you have? It could be time to replace the stylus.
For clicks and pops which are part of the record, good record cleaning is a must.
The Pro-Ject preamp should be OK (although there is always something better at higher prices) and any different preamp would probably have little to no effect on clicks and pops.
To electronically reduce or eliminate clicks and pops, the Sugarcube processor/preamp is intended for that, and the Puffin preamp also has a function for it. Both units have long threads here.

 

Cart is a brand new 2m red mounted premounted by LPgear. Stylus would not be the issue methinks.

The Puffin could be a potential solution in a couple of months after saving some cash but the sugarcube is WAY out of my ballpark for price

 

Just a note. That cart is a bit notorious for having distortion issues, besides having a whole bunch of gain. Off the top of my head, you need something with 36 dB gain or so. Forty dB is a bit hot, and is contributing to your complaints. The fact that so many people who have that cart complain about it and seem happy when they replace it makes me think you should consider something with a bit lower output next time you replace the cartridge. You might be able to add a Blue stylus to that body, but you'd still need to find that rare phono stage with a lower gain value. There are a few 36 dB phono stages out there, but gain matching, in my experience, it really important. The good thing is that less expensive MM phono stages often have lower gain.

 

I see, I was thinking about seeing what the Blue was all about. Yet I'd rather check out another cart and maybe start A-B testing for what I prefer. I heard great things about the MP-110 and have been very much considering picking up one up once my next paycheck comes in. Would this be along the lines of what id want to look for? Any other suggestions?

 

If you have the funds,I would recommend purchasing the Blue stylus. The red and blue are interchangeable.

 

Many records being made today are full of defects. You're going to have to start learning about where records are made and avoid ones that are made at the crappy plants. Even the Best plants can screw things up too, so consider if where you are buying new vinyl from allows easy returns.

Re: the 2m Red, it's a nasty sounding cartridge IMHO. I'd get something better when the stylus on it wears out. Carts with high output when used with some types of preamps tend to exaggerate surface noise, clicks, pops, etc in my experience.

Going from one cheap preamp to another isn't likely to solve your problem though.

 

Would the Blue mitigate surface noise (pops, clicks, crackle, etc.)? Im seeing everywhere that the MP-110 does exactly that and sounds great too. like other than those occasional noises I find the 2mred to sound woderful

 

In that case then, what would be a good matching cart for the phono preamp im currently using?

 

SubPop often uses Erika for pressing and if you are unlucky you'll get a record full of nonfill and surface noise. Definitely a lower end plant IME.

 

Yeah I've heard some gnarly things about that plant. Thankfully the LP was a gift from radio promo during my music director days

 

I found (to my ears),the blue was a little cleaner in that regard. It also was less harsh in the treble region.

 

Need more info such as budget, general condition and cleanliness of your record collection, whether you have a cleaning system, etc.

In general if you have a lot of records in rough shape or records pressed at low-end plants there is only so much a better cartridge can do to improve things.

 

A microline stylus if really an amazing thing, but you need to get your alignment chops down before you go that way. AT VM95 is a good line and has a 3.5 mV output (rather than 5) and is a nice compliance match for a medium mass arm.

 

So is the blue a microline then? My tt doesn’t have a vta adjustment so i cant be bothered doing any super involved mods

 

My copy of Waxahatchee's new St. Cloud release is riddled with clicks, noise and non-fill...all still audible after a four-step cleaning process. Sometimes crap is crap....

 

Haven't heard the vinyl myself, but still a great album, too bad they didn't do a better job on the vinyl press.

Listening to the MOV reissue of Tindersticks Simple Pleasure right now and everything seems pretty alright. Doing some switching back and forth between my Micro Seiki BL-91 with AT-OC9XML and Clearaudio Avantgarde with Benz Micro Wood SL, both into a Conrad Johnson Premier 15 preamp. Both sounding pretty nice ...

 

Eesh that’s really unfortunate. Such a gorgeous record. Bad surface noise on a record like that would drive me f***ing mad