■ What is a "Phono Equalizer"?
For those who are not familiar with the term "phono equalizer," it is one of the essential functions for playing records.
Without a phono equalizer, you cannot play records with accurate sound.
Here is the product page for phono equalizers
Generally, when you want to play a CD on a player, it is sufficient to connect the CD player's output terminal to the amplifier's input terminal with a cable, but in the case of records, it may not play correctly.
A common scenario is that after purchasing a record player and connecting it to an amplifier at home, no sound comes out, or only a very faint sound "like a mosquito buzzing" can be heard.
What does this situation mean?
Unlike CDs, when you want to play a record on a player, if you do not connect the record player to the amplifier's "PHONO IN" input terminal, the sound may not play as mentioned above, or only a small sound may be heard.
Normally, amplifiers for Hi-Fi audio are equipped with phono equalizers, so it is sufficient to connect to the amplifier's PHONO IN terminal.
On the other hand, compact amplifiers and mini component systems currently on the market are generally not equipped with phono equalizers.
In the first place, small amplifiers without built-in phono equalizers do not have a PHONO IN terminal. In that case,a phono equalizer (sometimes abbreviated as "phono," "phono amp," or "phono preamp") is required.
Now, we understand that a phono equalizer is essential to play records.
But why is a phono equalizer necessary?
■ The Two Main Functions of a Phono Equalizer
A phono equalizer has two main functions.
The first is to increase the output level.
While the output signal from audio equipment such as a CD player is about 2V, the output from a record player is a very small signal of 0.1 to 5mV.
This is the reason why the sound is quiet when listening through a small amplifier.
Therefore, the signal must be amplified to a sufficient output level.
The second point is to restore the sound recorded on the record to its original sound.
When recorded on a record, the bass is recorded smaller and the treble larger.
However, if left as is, it differs from the original sound, so it must be restored.
The keyword in this process is the "RIAA curve."
Using the RIAA curve in reverse, the opposite of the method used in recording is applied when playing a record through a phono equalizer.
In other words, by increasing the bass and reducing the treble, the sound is restored to its original form.
To summarize the role of a phono equalizer again, it amplifies the very small output of the record and corrects the bass and treble to restore the sound to its original form.
■ What is the RIAA curve?
First, "RIAA" stands for "Recording Industry Association of America," which was established in 1952 for the standardization of analog records, and in 1954 it became a global standard that remains today.
At that time, it was just before the transition from mono to stereo, and regulations with slightly different curves by different record companies were widespread. This caused records and playback equalizer curves to differ, and proper playback was not possible.
The "RIAA curve" was established to unify this.
For phono amplifiers that can handle various equalizer curves, see here:
★Bakoon Products EQA-5640mk4 Phono Equalizer Amplifier
★Bakoon Products CAP-1004 Multi-Curve Phono Equalizer
■ Record needles
Record needles (record cartridges) generally come in two types, and depending on the type, how they are handled is important.
First, we will briefly explain the differences in cartridges.
・"MM (Moving Magnet) Type Cartridge"
Most cartridges are of the MM (Moving Magnet) type.
They have high output power, and if you connect a record player to an amplifier with a PHONO IN terminal, you can easily enjoy listening to records.
・"MC (Moving Coil) Type Cartridge"
The MC (Moving Coil) type is said to have good response in high-frequency reproduction and is generally more expensive than the MM (Moving Magnet) type, but it is considered high-performance.
On the other hand, the MC type cannot increase the number of turns of the built-in coil, so its output is about 1/10 of the MM type. If you connect it directly to the amplifier's PHONO IN terminal, the volume will be too low, so you need to use a phono amp compatible with MC type or use a step-up transformer to amplify it for a stronger sound.
Record Cartridge Product Page
"MC Step-Up Transformer"
Since the voltage of MC type cartridges is lower than that of MM type cartridges, it is necessary to increase the voltage.
It is a device that uses a transformer to step up the electric signal from an MC type cartridge.
By using the coil turn ratio to increase the voltage, it provides powerful sound without the need for a power source.
For confirmation, if you have an amplifier without a PHONO IN terminal and an MM type cartridge, a phono equalizer is required; if you have an MC type cartridge with an amplifier without a PHONO IN terminal, a step-up transformer and phono equalizer are required.
Step-Up Transformer Product Page is here
