ARTDJPREII Phono Preamplifier

Full disclosure: I'm a vinyl record enthusiast, I've been using turntables for over 30 years, and I repair/rebuild/restore vintage turntables.I spent a couple of weeks trying to decide which sub-$100 phono preamp I should buy. Most of the preamps in this price range get mediocre reviews. I stumbled upon the ART DJPRE II almost by accident, and was impressed with the high number of favorable reviews, so I decided to give it a try.I've been using it for almost three months, and thus far I've been very impressed by it. The build quality is very good, the sound quality is excellent, and it has some nice features that I haven't seen in other comparably priced preamps.One of the things I like most about this preamp -- a feature that most other preamps in the same price range are lacking -- is the level adjustment knob. There are two scenarios where this feature comes in handy: first, if you use different cartridges with different output levels. For example, one of my cartridges has a high output level (9 mV), and one of my other cartridges has a much lower output level (2.5 mV). The level knob on the preamp allows me to adjust the preamp's amplification to match the cartridge I'm using. The other scenario is that some of my records were recorded at very low levels, and some of my other records were recorded at very high levels. The level adjustment knob, along with the signal/clipping light, makes it easy to adjust the output level, and this is VERY helpful when transferring vinyl records to CD/MP3. This might not seem like a big deal, but I find it to be a really great feature, and theoretically it should offer better audio quality than attempting to boost or lower the audio after the fact with an audio editing program -- which is what you'd have to do if your preamp didn't have a level adjustment knob.I also really appreciate the rumble filter, which is another great feature that isn't typically found on preamps in this price range. It works as advertised and does not alter the audio quality.I do find that the blue power light is very bright, as other reviewers have pointed out, but I'm not particularly bothered by it. If you find it disturbing, you can always put a small piece of black tape over it.If you need a phono preamp and you can't afford to spend big bucks, I think this is absolutely your best bet.UPDATE: I've now been using this preamp for almost two years and it still works flawlessly. I'm very happy I chose it.

This this is almost the most impressive thing I’ve put into my rig. I mean, I almost never write reviews, even when they promise to pay me to. I don’t care about some discount or $5 gift card I’ll never use. I got a wallet with 400 bucks of gift cards I’ve collected for 10 years or more, so you can trust this review is legit.I have an amazing system overall. Not really my fault. It’s my dad’s. He’s an audiophile and an engineer. I had a better setup than most people since before I was out of diapers. When Pro-ject came out with that bare-bones turntable, it immediately went into my bundle of musical joy. But then of course, I already had a Sony amplifier from the dark ages that was, at the time (some bazillion years ago), the best thing money could buy. Except, by now, the only thing it’s useful for is that damn turntable. Because rear outputs no longer work, only the front headphone jack functions. And because I have proper home entertainment speakers, that meant all sorts of splice slash adapter nonsense to get my albums to reach my ears.Well, I read reviews on this guy and decided to give it a try. I was aware of the foolishness of the bright lights but I figured I could work with that if the sound was good.So I immediately plugged it in. I grounded it, sent the output to a cheap little Bluetooth transmitter I found on Amazon. Paired that to an equally cheap bt receiver across the room that plugs into my stereo receiver hiding under the tv.And wow! It’s WAY better sound than I anticipated. It’s strong and pure. A bit tinny but nothing a base boost can’t manage.I plugged it and my turntable into a small strip that is connected to a remote controllable power plug from iHome. I can turn the whole system off and on from my iPhone, so the light is not an issue when it’s not in use.If this review is helpful, don’t feel obliged to up-vote it. I probably won’t notice anyway… I have a date with Steely Dan ❤️

I only trust my vinyl collection to a vintage turntable (in my case a very nice 70's era AR-XA with a Pickering cartridge). As others have noted, such turntables produce an output that needs to be passed through a separate pre-amp. Receivers in the past had a pre-amp incorporated via a designated phono input. My old receiver bit the dust, so I procured a nice Yamaha only to find on arrival it did not have a phono input, and hence no pre-amp (and that apparently is now the case for most if not all manufacturers). I chose this pre-amp based on its favorable reviews, its small size, and its modest price point. From my perspective it has more than proven to be an excellent solution for my particular turntable. Setup was trivial - you just plug your phono into it and run a patch cord to an available audio input on the receiver. There is a ground input on the pre-amp if your turntable requires one (the AR does not). I have absolutely no complaint about quality of output, although I hasten to add I am by no means an audiophile. I can't speak to the advantages of the rumble filter or the 100pF/200pF capacitance adjustments since the Pickering cartridge works great regardless of setting and my AR turntable doesn't have rumble issues. The major downside of the product is its lack of off/on switch, not a good thing given the very bright blue LED that is on whenever it is powered (and which is why I decided to rate it 4 stars instead of 5). The product packaging provides little if any information beyond what is provided on the Amazon site, but that is perhaps a reflection of just how simple it is to set up.