Phono Stages
Phono Stage Guide: Gain, Loading, MM/MC, and Where to Spend
A phono stage is the small preamplifier that turns the tiny, tilted signal coming off your cartridge into a normal…
Category: Phono Stages
Phono preamp guides: gain, loading, MM vs MC, internal vs external, and the upgrade path that actually buys sound.
Phono Stages
Cartridge Loading Explained: Capacitance, Resistance, and Why It Changes the Sound
Cartridge loading — the combined resistance and capacitance the phono preamp presents to the cartridge — determines the frequency response…
Phono Stages
Tube Amp Comparison for Vinyl: Why Even-Order Distortion Sounds Warm
Tube amplifiers sound warm because they add even-order harmonic distortion — primarily second and fourth harmonics, which land one and…
Phono Stages
Phono Preamp Explained: Why You Need One for Vinyl
Yes, you need a phono preamp to play vinyl — the cartridge alone outputs a signal 100 to 1,000 times…