Ceramic Cartridge preamp

[gregb.]

Hello. I have an old 1974 BSR turntable with a ceramic cartridge. I want to use it for old 45s 78s and LPs that are less than perfect. I have it hooked up to a vintage receiver through the AUX inputs. It works but the sound is lacking quality. I was told I need a creamic cartridge preamp with a RIAA equalization circut. Where can I find one? Thanks all for your help.

[Æ]

Hello. I have an old 1974 BSR turntable with a ceramic cartridge. I want to use it for old 45s 78s and LPs that are less than perfect. I have it hooked up to a vintage receiver through the AUX inputs. It works but the sound is lacking quality. I was told I need a creamic cartridge preamp with a RIAA equalization circut. Where can I find one? Thanks all for your help.

Well, I'd get rid of the ceramic cartridge and get a more modern moving magnet pickup. As I understand it, the older ceramic pickups had enough output, but what do I know. You can get a phono preamp in so many places, they wont cost you much, that is unless you are going for something top of the line. I have a PYLE PP-999 for auxiliary use.
PartsExpress sells them, $18.14

[Æ]

Hello. I have an old 1974 BSR turntable with a ceramic cartridge. I want to use it for old 45s 78s and LPs that are less than perfect. I have it hooked up to a vintage receiver through the AUX inputs. It works but the sound is lacking quality. I was told I need a creamic cartridge preamp with a RIAA equalization circut. Where can I find one? Thanks all for your help.

Doesn't your vintage receiver have a phono input?

[TN Allen]

Hello. I have an old 1974 BSR turntable with a ceramic cartridge. I want to use it for old 45s 78s and LPs that are less than perfect. I have it hooked up to a vintage receiver through the AUX inputs. It works but the sound is lacking quality. I was told I need a creamic cartridge preamp with a RIAA equalization circut. Where can I find one? Thanks all for your help.

Have you found a replacement stylus for the cartridge.

If you do replace the cartridge, you would probably need two styli, as 33/45 requires a different stylus than 78rpm records. You might find a cartridge that can use both, perhaps Shure offers one.

[Whitneyville1]

Your ceramic cartridge has gotten moisture into it and is kaput. A ceramic cartridge is made to be plugged into an AUX or LINE IN input without equalization. If the signal is weak, or lacking in bass or treble, the cartridge is bad 99% of the time. For a total of about $30, you can get a decent magnetic cartridge AND an RIAA EQ'ed phono pre-amp. "78's" can be played fine with a "micro-groove" stereo stylus, albeit with some un-needed EQ and extra surface noise. I have an oooooold Dual 1016 turntable set-up just for "78's" ( which were actually recorded at speeds from 66 2/3 RPM to 90-odd RPM) with a Stanton cartridge and 5 different size stylii and a custom non- RIAA pre-amp with the major 6 EQ settings used for "high RPM" records, but I am totally an anal nut about this stuff.

[gregb.]

Thanks all. It works. Someone told me I had to be hooked up with RIAA equalization. I will try a newer record on it and see how it sounds. Thanks.