Dual CS 505-3 - can't get sound through!

[gubbins13]

Hi all, I really hope I'm just asking a dumb question here and it isn't something terminal. I just bought a Dual CS 505-3 turntable in mint condition and have done all the usual stuff to connect it to a Cambridge Audio amp (connected to a Cyrus power amp and some monitor audio speakers)...and I am getting hardly any sound out at all.

What am I doing wrong? As I say, I'd settle for something really dumb...

[13oots2]

Do you have a phonostage, if not the sound will be very weak and lack the necessary correction to make it sound as it should.

[gubbins13]

Bloody hell 13oots2 - thanks for your reply. I'm an old git who is returning to vinyl after a couple of decades playing CDs. Classic mid-life crisis. I can't afford a Harley, I can't pull a 22 year old or grow a pony tail - and I don't like leather trousers - so I figured I'd get some decent hifi. I'm beginning to feel that there's no end to it.

Can you please fill me in? And feel free to talk to me as if I'm a complete dick head. Thanks again, Gubbs

[smeg68]

Back in the good old days amplifier manufacturers used to provide a 'Phono' input on their amps specifically for turntables. Most don't nowadays though. You need a phono preamp to connect between your turntable and preamp.

Here's some from Richers to suit all pockets:

http://www.richersounds.com/products/ac ... o-pre-amps

Hope this clears it up for you!

[gubbins13]

Thanks smeg68. The problem is, I have a Cambridge Audio amp, the A5, which DOES have a phono/aux socket, and it sounds great with the Cyrus power amp I have when I play CDs. It also worked fine with a very cheap turntable that I had until a couple of weeks ago.
I spoke so someone at Richer Sounds who says he thinks the problem is that the Dual needs to be hooked up to an amp with a spinning coil but the A5 has a spinning magnet - but he can sort out the problem with ANOTHER amp costing me £120. That's three amps to play one bleedin' turntable. (BTW, the turntable plays fine through my mate's battered 20 year old Cyrus amp). Is this all complete B******s or is that right. And are there any cheaper spinning coil amps out there? I'm about to take a sledgehammer to the lot....

[tappaja]

Oh, facing the same problem.
Bought 505-4 last week, bought CA A5, bought Monitor Audio speakers, bought headphone adapter to 6.3mm - for night listening... found yesterday, that no phono pre-amp, no headphone socket either... )))

[Alec124c41]

<<The award-winning A5 delivers 60 watts per channel of sonic muscle as well as providing six line inputs, Tape Return input and one speaker output. An optional phono stage is available for this model. Available in both black and silver finishes.>>

I suspect the optional phono module is not installed.
You may still need a phono pre-amp.

Cheers,
Alec

[gubbins13]

Hi Alec, the A5 is fine but it only plays moving magnet cartridges and the Dual is moving coil. So I'm having to find a pre-amp that plays MC. Thanks, Gubbs

[johnnywalker]

Gubbs, it isn't the Dual that's moving coil, it's the cartridge. You could either obtain a moving-coil preamp, or install a moving magnet cartridge. Either should work. I have only used moving magnet cartridges in my 20-something year old 505-2, and it has always worked just fine.

[lini]

Yet another alternative: Get an MC step-up solution - so that you can run the MC cart into an MM input. Basically this can be done passively with step-up transformers or actively with MC prepre-amps, though the latter have become pretty rare nowadays. Personally I've used and liked those little Ortofon T-5/Sony HA-T10 step-up transformer plugs, which can still pretty often be found used, e.g. on eBay.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

P.S.: Mentioning which MC model you've got on your Dual wouldn't harm...

[raphaelmabo]

But doesn't MC-step ups cost similar as MC phono pre-amps? (the ones I've seen does)... Ok, you save one input but are there any sonic advantages to a step up transformer vs a phono pre-amp for low output MC?