How to remove the preamp on an Audio-Technica AT-LP120-USB turntable

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Жыл бұрын

In this video I show how I removed the audio preamp from an Audio-Technica AT-LP120-USB turntable. The reason for removing this preamp is that even when switched off the board is still getting power which is causing a slight filtering of some of the high and mid frequencies. After doing this mod the turntable will no longer be able to output a line level and it will loose the USB connection. However the sound will be improved by allowing the true sound for from the cartridge to be directly fed to the audio equipment without any loss of sound.

Пікірлер: 28

@HarleyFLHRCI99 10 ай бұрын

I notice you removed the black ground wire to the phono/usb board was there a specific reason or could it have been left so as to ground chassis and other parts etc. I left my ground wire connected near the braided wire as per factory . I’ll run a seperate ground wire back to remote phono amp , but May end up with a hum due to looping. Cut ground or not to chassis.

@SkulldozeR 11 ай бұрын

Ι have the same turntable but I replaced the needle with a VM540ML. It sounds a LOT better than the AT95E it comes with. Interesting concept to remove the preamp altogether. However, I don't hear any difference with and without the preamp... :/

@SISKworks 11 ай бұрын

Yeah it’s pretty hard to hear the difference in the video. But my customer who is an audiophile can totally hear it. He is happy so I am happy 😬

@brucetowell3432 2 ай бұрын

Does the whole AT 95E cartridge just twist out and you put in a new whole shell with the VM 540ML? Cause my sound is poor with is AT 95E, but then again maybe it's the cheap moukey active speakers I'm using with the pre-amp turned on?

@allensmith8953 3 ай бұрын

Any idea as to why I only have very faint sound after removing the preamp? I have to max the volume in order to hear something very faintly.

@bcepni00 3 ай бұрын

You need to now connect the outputs to a phono amplifier. Your speaker amp might already have this, it'll be marked phono.

@rickbarber6758 4 ай бұрын

Why can't you just remove the two capicators 680, 623 the two L601 and 602? That way the usb and line out will function.

@SISKworks 4 ай бұрын

I don’t think that would work.

@user-hr5fh9zz2i Жыл бұрын

does this take care the sound distortion issue?

@SISKworks Жыл бұрын

Well I don’t know if I would call it “distortion” But it does improve the sound. With The preamp, even when set to phono, the circuit still has power which causes some of the high frequencies to be filtered out. With the preamp removed the signal from the cartridge is directly fed to the output so you hear the true sound from the vinyl as it was intended.

@anthonyrobles587 6 ай бұрын

i have a question, my main reason to buy this turntable is to transfer music from a lp to a cd [ i haven't done it yet because i am still learning ] but according to the introduction on top, it says if have the phone preamp removed i lose the usb connection, does that mean that i won't be able to transfer music to my computer to digital files?, please i need someone to explain this to me, because if that is the case i rather throw a way this stupid turntable that the sound is not that good.

@SISKworks 6 ай бұрын

Yes, if you do this mod you would no longer be able to transfer directly like that anymore. You would need an additional audio interface to connect between the turntable and computer.

@HexZaSnaker 2 ай бұрын

I am lucky. I buy AT-LP120X-USB width RCA connectors and switch on/off preamp.

@johnloupis9344 7 ай бұрын

I still have a low level hum. Can a old original cartridge create a low level humm? Can a cartridge go bad? I got this off someone who tried to do the mod but gave up.

@SISKworks 7 ай бұрын

I’m not sure about old cartridges causing hum. I would check your ground connection and see if it changes when disconnected. Sorry I don’t know exactly. I don’t normally work on turntables.

@johnloupis9344 6 ай бұрын

I've tried grounding it many different ways and it's still there on a low level. No ground at all is loud!@@SISKworks

@ralphdaub 4 ай бұрын

Did you ever figure it out? I have a similar issue. With ground connected to preamp, low level hum. If I don't have ground connected to anything, it's very loud. I'm using a Cambridge audio 551p preamp.

@jmgraydz 5 ай бұрын

Two questions. Why not use a better rca? Second, why not just add a switch to the preamp to kill the power and maintain the connection?

@SISKworks 5 ай бұрын

Simply because that is what the customer requested of me. He wanted the cartridge connected directly to the RCAs without ANY other circuitry involved in any way.

@ralphdaub 4 ай бұрын

The older model lp120 has the audio still going through some preamp circuitry even when it was off. That's why the sound was still affected, and people took the whole built-in preamp out. The new version of this turntable (lp120x I think) doesn't have that issue, from what I read.