Phono stage
electronic preamplifier for playback of vinyl records
A phono stage, also known as a phono amplifier or phono preamplifier, is an electronic audio component that amplifies the signal from a turntable to a level that will allow it to be heard when connected to a sound system. A phono stage is needed to listen to any turntable otherwise the sound will be too low when heard through speakers or headphones. The phono stage can be a separate device that connects to the record player or it can be included as part of another audio component like a preamplifier or integrated amplifier. They can also be built into the record player itself.
Description
When the magnetic cartridge from a turntable touches a vinyl record, it produces a signal called a "phono signal". In order for the signal to be properly heard through an audio system, it needs to be converted into a "line signal", otherwise the sound would be too low. The bass notes from a signal are increased while the treble is decreased in a process called RIAA equalization. This balance is due to the way the record was pressed in order to compensate for the sound and is done to create a balanced listening experience.
There are 2 types of phono stages:
Tube phono stage - produces even order harmonic distortion
Solid state phono stage - produces odd order harmonic distortion
Tube phono stages were the original way that phono stages were built. The advancements in technology soon led to the transition to solid state builds.
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This entry incorporates text from “Phono stage” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.