phonograph question

Hello all.

I'm not a normal person and once again, I'm trying to do something weird that more than likely is not common sense.

The preface: the wife and I have a nice vintage audio system upstairs in the living room where I often enjoy a glass of wine and an old slab of vinyl. But most of my music listening is downstairs in my graphic design studio, where I listen to music from a tablet played into a good set of Yamaha Nearfield Studio monitors. They're powered speakers, and pretty good.

I had this idea: get a turntable/phonograph (I know its more or less the same thing, what is the correct term here? and get it to play vinyl LPs thru the Nearfields, so I can enjoy it all downstairs too.

Most turntables I've seen have an RCA out and then a ground wire. The RCA out to the Nearfields isnt a problem - But without a power amp or a receiver to plug the turntable into, how do I hook up the ground wire?

This is not a HI-FI audiophile scenario. I do not need an expensive turntable for this. There are plenty of used turntables around town, I was hoping to get one of those and a newer cartridge - if I can figure out how to hook it up.

 

You'll need a turntable with a built-in phono section such as the Audio-Technica LP60 or 120. Otherwise, you need a phono pre-amp like the Behringer PP400.

If you end up with a phono pre-amp, most have a ground screw. Or, run the ground wire over to a nearby ground such as the middle screw on an AC outlet. Or, you might find you don't need the ground at all.

 

I dont need a phono preamp if the Nearfields are powered speakers, do I?

I mean I have a tablet plugged direct into them now. However, is that different?

pardon my confusion

 

Oh, nevermind, I see. A turntable's output isnt even line level, it needs some sort of preamp. Gotcha, thanks for the tip in the Behringer.!

 

Just FYI, it's not just not line level, records are cut with the bass eq'ed way down and treble eq'ed way up, an equalization curve that allows the music to fit on a 12" microgroove recording easily -- the RIAA equalization curve has long been standard. You need a phono preamp not just to boost level but also to apply the inverse RIAA equalization.

 

Not the same thing. A phonograph plays and records on wax cylinders. This is the device Thomas Edison invented.

 

Probably the most popular turntable for your situation is the new version of the Audio Technica LP120x. It would be plug and play with it's built in phono preamp (no external preamp required or ground screw). You just need a line level input for it on the powered speaker set up. Comes with a decent ATvm95e cartridge already set up.

 

thanks, and I did ask for a turntable, so I appreciate this info.

However, for 20 bucks I can get the Behringer pre-amp and run an RCA line straight into the speakers - friend of mine collects used but good turntables and promised me a sweet deal so I'll probably go this direction. If not, we'll look into the LP120x.

 

I would go for the Behringer (or Art DJ II pre), the used, but good, and the sweet deal...

 

You might consider a phono preamp with a volume control so you’re not constantly having to reach around back of those speakers to adjust the volume. Do your Yamahas have a remote for volume?