Préamplificateurs phono

Les préamplificateurs phono sont des composants audio dont la tâche est d'amplifier le signal provenant de la platine vinyle, et strictement de la cellule phono, dont le signal est très faible. Ils sont nécessaires pour élever la valeur de ce signal à un niveau qui accepte l'entrée ligne d'un amplificateur non équipé d'un étage phono, c'est-à-dire avec un préamplificateur phono intégré. Les équipements audio haut de gamme se composent généralement de composants individuels de haute qualité. Dans les systèmes où l'une des sources sonores est une platine et la musique est jouée à partir d'un disque vinyle, un préamplificateur phono connecté entre la platine et un amplificateur de puissance, par exemple à tube, est un composant nécessaire.

Types of phono preamplifiers

The phono preamplifier, also known as the phono stage, can come in two variants internal and external. The internal phono stages are integrated into other devices, such as some stereo integrated amplifiers. They are a good choice if you want to achieve good sound quality at a budget price.

By far the more expensive options are external phono preamplifiers. The best ones usually have a separate power supply to reduce interference. In addition, they give you more options for selecting the preamplifier's operating parameters to match the characteristics of the phono cartridge. They are also considerably more expensive than internal models, so if you are looking for a Hi-End preamplifier, you should just opt for the external one. Another distinction of phono preamplifiers relates to types of the cartridge they are used for - products dedicated to MM (moving magnet) cartridges, MC (moving coil) cartridges or universal. MM cartridges have a slightly stronger signal, while MCs are characterized by a very low output signal, which must initially be amplified to a level that an MM phono preamplifier can handle. This can be achieved with a dedicated MC preamplifier or a step-up transformer. A universal phono preamplifier solves the problem of amplification in a single device, in which the operating parameters are selected based on the data of the phono cartridge.

Another distinction of phono preamplifiers relates to types of the cartridge they are used for - products dedicated to MM (moving magnet) cartridges, MC (moving coil) cartridges or universal. MM cartridges have a slightly stronger signal, while MCs are characterized by a very low output signal, which must initially be amplified to a level that an MM phono preamplifier can handle. This can be achieved with a dedicated MC preamplifier or a step-up transformer. A universal phono preamplifier solves the problem of amplification in a single device, in which the operating parameters are selected based on the data of the phono cartridge.