The phono stage is a frequently overlooked component in vinyl hi-fi systems. Often bought without fully understanding what they're there for, phono pre-amplifiers actually provide a vitally important function which can make or break the overall audio performance that's delivered from your turntable.

A phono stage amplifies the very quiet electrical signal generated by the cartridge on your turntable. When we play a record, the signal created by a cartridge/turntable may only be as loud as 5 or 6mV (millivolts), but your amplifier needs a signal nearer to 2V to actually power your speakers - that's nearly 300 times louder than what the turntable outputs! 

In order to play vinyl through your audio system you will always need a phono stage. However, there are a variety of turntables, powered speakers and amplifiers that already have phono stages built in. We always recommend using external phono stages due to their increased flexibility, but if you choose to use a built-in device, be sure to never use two phono stages in a system. For example, if your turntable has a built-in phono stage and you connect it to the phono stage on an amplifier, you will double-amplify the signal, resulting in a loud, distorted noise that could damage your hi-fi system.

What to look for when buying a phono stage?

There are three key considerations to make when purchasing a phono stage. How much should I pay, what's the type of sound I want and do I need something future-proof? In order to answer the sound question, we recommend auditioning or reading reviews whenever you can before making a purchase. So far as "future-proofing" is concerned, a good phono stage can help you step up to a better turntable in the future - so it's always worth thinking about what you're going to do next, before you buy. Then, how much you should pay is tricky, but as a general guide, we recommend spending anything up to 50% the value of your turntable/cartridge on a phono stage.