A good inexpensive turntable preamp

[gunterm]

I'm looking all over but can't seem to find one with these specs:

- balanced audio out
- adjustable volume levels L/R

[SFM-Ptgal]

How good it is I don't know... Other folks around know it better than I.

[littlejohn]

Stanton made an excellent one - you might find one on ebay or the used dealser.  My alltime fave was the component Sony pre-amp, which had an excellent phono section in it, from the late 70s.  Don't remember the model, but it was the flagship of their component line at the time.  Again, you might find one on ebay.

[Tom Wells]

I can't remember what I paid a year ago for it, but I bought a new USA-built tube phono pre-amp from Bellari.  It was reasonably priced.
It uses a 12AX7, has separate outputs for line and headphones, with controls for each.
You'll have to roll-your-own  balanced-to-unbalanced transformers and L/R balance controls, however.
Two 8/600 ohm transformers and two potentiometers shouldn't be too hard to wire up.
Sounds a lot clearer than the old cheap transistor RIAA phono amp I was using.

[SFM-Ptgal]

How good it is I don't know... Other folks around know it better than I.

And how about writting the necessary link on my own message?  Sorry this outtake

http://www.rdlnet.com/product.php?page=90

[Radiodeity]

I've used RDL amps in the past and they work rather well. Try it out. Ask if you can return if it doesn't fit the bill - sorta like getting it on demo.

Here's something I used to do to balance the channels on a turntable. It’s a little strange and I was really careful when I did it but here goes; back in the day I'd grab the bulk eraser and fire it up way outside the area of the pickup and bring it in slowly until a low hum could be heard. I'd quick balance the levels before the eraser would overheat or do any damage to the pickup or tone arm. Would I do it again today? Probably not since I'll bet there isn't a bulk eraser within 25 miles of studios today. But maybe some sort of alternative can be used, I have run my finger across the stylus slowly also but that was just a quick and dirty way when I didn’t have anything else. I guess today you could bring a cell phone close to the pickup to get both channels balanced - it works for microphones. Good luck!

[gunterm]

Cool trick, I do have a bulk eraser in fact, and also a demagnetizer as I still have two reel to reel decks here