Where's the love for Broadcast Phono Stages?

[Etnier]

It's worth noting that the "BP" in Bryston gear names stands for Broadcast Preamp.

I own a 1980's-vintage BP1 and am very happy with it.

[radio77]

WOW.. Good thread.
Ive just rounded up a Stanton 310b and a PR&E PHONO PRE (I have a Technics SP-15). I havent tried them yet. I could not find any info on the PR&E, but it must be to similiar standards as the South African pre... Same look too. Its really "ugly" and stretched out to be rack mountable.. Although I almost like The PR&E for its shameless pragmatism! Like the rest of all Broadcast stuff, it can be assured that its "clean" and runnin the proper electricity. I'm late to this thread! But I really appreciate all this information. I was literally pondering this same question the past few weeks! Thank you
I havent heard a single bad thing about the Stanton, besides its balanced outputs.

[AudioSoul]

This is a great subject. Thanks for bringing it up. The thing I would be concerned about is being a phono pre designed for broadcasting and I am assuming radio broadcast. Is that radio is not concidered the best in high fidelity and maybe the phono pre's were designed with that in mind and weren't taken as seriously as a home high fidelity phono preamp......

[Ldg]

Hi AS. From the schematics, they are serious. More likely the other way round, where pro-audio features fewer compromises than domestic, certainly for the Stanton.

[silvertone]

I tried the cambridge and rega phono stages and didn't really like either. The cambridge had an odd airy quality and the rega sounded like a rega. My old NAD integrated amp $130 has a nicer phono stage with no added odditites. Plus you get an amp and a preamp for free ! A phono stage is a basic device. No idea why modern companies can't make a decent inexpensive unit to equalize the turntable signal. Modern companies can't seem to do anything right though imo. Basic natural sound is tough to find in modern gear. They are all searching for that added 'euphoric' quality and forget how to do basics.

[AudioSoul]

I tried the cambridge and rega phono stages and didn't really like either. The cambridge had an odd airy quality and the rega sounded like a rega. My old NAD integrated amp $130 has a nicer phono stage with no added odditites. Plus you get an amp and a preamp for free ! A phono stage is a basic device. No idea why modern companies can't make a decent inexpensive unit to equalize the turntable signal. Modern companies can't seem to do anything right though imo. Basic natural sound is tough to find in modern gear. They are all searching for that added 'euphoric' quality and forget how to do basics.

I totaly agree with that statement! The modern gear today has no soul, they are trying to extract the last bit of information and leaving out the soul of the music. That's what I am about.....

[Hanuman]

The thing I would be concerned about is being a phono pre designed for broadcasting and I am assuming radio broadcast. Is that radio is not concidered the best in high fidelity and maybe the phono pre's were designed with that in mind and weren't taken as seriously as a home high fidelity phono preamp......

I agree with LD here. It's worth noting that the degrading effect of the broadcast/reception process is cumulative on top of the degradations of the source, including the original production. Differences in sources are apparent even if all are nominally of higher quality than the medium. Of course diminishing returns applies, especially with something like AM radio but it still makes sense to start with a high quality source.

[radio77]

Just tested my PR&E pre amp with the Stanton 310 B. The PR&E was amazing. I couldnt believe it. The Stanton was also really great, and I'll definitely keep it around, but the PR&E came way out ahead. The engineer who now repairs all PR&E stuff got back to me about this pre amp saying "The Stanton 310B is a Ford, and The PR&E is a Mercedez Benz!" Its incredibly clear, quiet, and with beautiful separation. You can hear every instrument, and I felt like I was hearing my most played records for the first time. Incredible performance out of the ugliest military looking piece of gear I have!!! Broadcast quality has to be clean, and powerful enough to provide a good solid output to the ORBAN processing. It really works, and is not lacking in musicality in any way, built to last and easy to access the inner components..

[jusbe]

radio77, could you post a few photos of the PR&E?

[KentT]

I love the best ones, then again I am biased. I am afterall, both broadcast engineer and audiophile in real life.

[happylad]

If I was to get one of these Stanton pre amps I noticed the outputs from the stanton phono stage are screws instead of rca phonos , how could I hook this up to my main amp? am I correct in thinking I would just cut the end of the output leads at one end and stick the outer sheathing on the earth screws and the signal on the signal screw ???

[davidsrsb]

Careful, the Stanton just might have a balanced output. Studio equipent was designed for long cable runs.

[happylad]

Careful, the Stanton just might have a balanced output. Studio equipent was designed for long cable runs.

Thanks for the response , had a look in the library at the Stanton 310 handbook and I think it can do both balanced and unbalanced . There's a guy on e bay selling 4 NOS boxed 310's and I have decided to take a chance . They look a bit crude but I have been told they sound good plus of course the guys in this thread seem to rate them.