Line to Phono Attenuator

G

Gonzo62

New Member
I've run out of input on my receiver so I'm curious about a line to phono attenuator since I have a second phono input that is currently unused. Anyone have any recommendations in the department?

Does an attenuator do anything to the overall quality of the signal as opposed to a switcher plugged into the aux input?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
 
Google for "reverse RIAA", it's a whole lot easier to attenuate than amplify so it can be accomplished with a handful of passive components. I built one to test phono stages in receivers and preamps on my bench without having to set up a turntable.

That being said, there is definitely the possibility of degraded sound quality with this approach. A decent switcher is probably the cleaner way to go.
 
I would get a cheap 4 port mixer. That way everything that comes from each port is directed to a single out. If you use one source at a time, there will be no problem without any switching.
 
i made one out of a vol control i built for running multiple car amps . i only use it for testing without a turntable ..its basically a stereo vol control . wont reverse the riaa though .
also have an external switch-box to plug into an input .think it takes 3 or 4 inputs .
 
To do this properly you need a reverse RIAA circuit to add the RIAA "EQ". A simple attenuator won't do. With a simple attenuator you'll have too much bass and too little treble.
 
mgosdin said:
Get one of these from Amazon, will solve your problem and may cost less than anything you could put together.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0056EK7Q2/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Click to expand...
This.

Knocking the signal down and reverse RIAA only to have to amplify and EQ it all over again is not terribly acceptable as a high-fidelity solution. A switchbox connected to a line-in input (Aux or a tape input) makes much more sense. Or, if you haven't used up the tape inputs, well, there ya go. :thmbsp: No switchbox needed.
 
Thanks for the help, folks. The reason I wanted to use the phono input is because I wanted to keep my setup simple by not having a separate component just for the input selector. I preferred to control everything right from the amp, but I realize that reverse riaa will sacrifice quality and I'm not really willing to do that.

So now Im wondering if there is one of these simple input selector boxes that also have a volume control. Does this kind of thing exist?
 
Ok, maybe I'm just talking to myself at this point (wouldn't be the first time). As I'm looking for an input selector with with volume and remote control control, it seems like that doesnt really exist and maybe what i should be looking for is a preamp with those abilities?
 
Seems that I saw something close to what you describe for sale 'somewhere' a while back and was interested until I saw the price. IIRC, it was something like $400 & change.
 
I have one of these: http://www.amazon.com/MCM-50-7240-Phono-Input-Attenuator/dp/B008I5RNUY/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt. However, I do not use it in my main rig. I use it so I can test phono preamp functionality on my test bench, without having to schlep a turntable into my lab. They are no longer available new, but there might be one on the 'bay. It actually works pretty well.

There is this (don't know how well it works): http://www.ebay.com/itm/Monacor-LPC...949?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2a4e2afa9d

Enjoy,
Rich P
 
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