How To Hook Up Turntable To Receiver Without Phono Input

How to hook up turntable to receiver without phono input? we will bring you simple solutions to deal with if you don't have phono inputs.
by Helen Appling | Updated: January 8, 2021

You've just started collecting vinyl records, and you’ve got a turntable and receiver ready for the amazing sounds of your favorite artist's vinyl record.

But unfortunately, from the very first step, you do not know how to hook up the turntable to the receiver without phono input on the devices. Don't worry; follow these simple steps below to handle vinyl media players without phono inputs.

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Sony STRDH190 2-ch Home Stereo Receiver with Phono Inputs & Bluetooth Black
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What Is A Phono Input In A Receiver?

The input used to connect a turntable or recorder can only be a phono input. The difference between a phono input in a receiver from other inputs is that it routes the signal straight to an internal phono preamp.

At the end of the turntable is a cartridge that generates a small voltage when the needle begins tracing the tracks on the recording album. The music voltage or signal has to be carefully amplified and balanced before passing through the receiver.

And where do you look to find the phono input on the device?

In most systems, you should look for the three most regular places to find a phono input:  built-in turntable, inside receiver, a separated box to plug in between receiver and turntable.

What Is A Phono Input In A Receiver?

How To Hook Up Turntable To Receiver Without Phono Input 

But how to connect a turntable to a receiver without a phono input? All you need to know are a few basics to hook up these devices. After that the amazing sounds of vinyl recordings are ready for you.

Step 1

Start taking the AV probe, then carefully check the input of the gramophone. The best advice would be to read the manual carefully or check the online manuals if you are starting. If the receiver does not have the phono input available, it will be hard to work directly with the turntable.

So what should you do, in case you cannot find a phono input? Be patient; this article will show you the best way to do it even if there is no phono preamp built-in in both your receiver and turntable.

Step 2

Check a gramophone bullet input of your amplifier. When you look up the ammo amplifier, even if phono input is not required, the turntable can still connect to the receiver.

If phono preamps with built-in construction are available on the receiver and turntable, a switch in the turntable can allow the built-in preamps to be bypassed or turned off. By testing whether the receiver phono or turntable preamp sound better, you can find out that one device displays significantly better than the other.

Step 3

In case there is no built-in phono preamp in both the receiver and turntable, you'll need a separate external phono preamp.

First, plug the turntable stereo signal cable and ground wire into a separate phono preamp box. Be sure to connect the turntable ground wire to the grounding post on the phono preamp.

Then, you connect the preamp to one of the receiver’s analog audio inputs. After that, connect the preamp to the power supply, and the system is ready.

Connect Your Turntable Into LINE, AUX, CD, TV, DVD,  Or Even RECORDER

Connect Your Turntable Into LINE, AUX, CD, TV, DVD,  Or Even RECORDER? (200w)

After viewing all the instructions above, you still see nothing is the same as your devices. Maybe your turntable only has a phono preamp with built-in design, but your receiver does not have an integrated phono preamp. It means the stereo signal cable of the turntable is plugged into analog audio inputs of the receiver.

You can just plug the audio signal cable of the turntable into one of the analog audio inputs of the receiver. Particularly, there are usually Analog In, labeled Line In, Aux (auxiliary), etc. Even the receiver's "Tape" or "CD" input is available for use. No other connection is required.

However, connecting a turntable without a built-in preamp into the LINE level input signal will result in extremely low music volume.

Even though the volume is turned on at maximum, the audible sound is minimal. Without RIAA equalization, there would be no balance between the bass and treble, making the bass almost non-existent in the sound.

The only solution for turntables with receivers without the PHONO input signal is to invest in a standalone preamp containing high-quality circuits.

In Sum 

We just told you some information on how to hook up the turntable to the receiver without phono input.

The article also provides information so you can check and distinguish the input types of your turntable and receiver.

We hope that this article will be useful to you. Don't be afraid to ask more detailed questions in the comment section.

Thank you for reading!

*Table's last update on 2023-05-30. Information is from the Amazon Product Advertising API. They're accurate as of the date and time indicated and are subject to change.