Pyle PP999 Phono Preamp — Turntable to Line Level, New in Box

Pyle PP999 Compact Phono Turntable Preamp — Phono to Line Level, Ground Terminal, 12 V Adapter Included, New in Box

A small metal-bodied preamplifier that solves one specific and very common problem: a turntable that has nowhere to plug in.

Almost every receiver built before the mid-1990s has a phono input. Almost no home theatre receiver built since does. A turntable’s cartridge puts out a few thousandths of a volt — roughly a thousandth of what a CD player sends — and it needs both amplification and RIAA equalisation before an ordinary line input can do anything with it. Plug a turntable straight into an AUX or CD socket and the result is faint, thin and almost entirely without bass. That is not a fault; it is the missing preamp.

The PP999 sits between the two. Turntable in, receiver out, on ordinary RCA cables, and the signal arrives at line level ready for any input on the back of a modern amplifier.

Two details matter more than the specification sheet suggests. The first is the ground terminal on the rear panel — a turntable’s ground wire has to land somewhere, and a preamp without a post for it leaves the user with a hum they cannot cure. The second is that the 12 volt power adapter is included in the box, which is not universally true at this price and is the detail most often discovered after purchase.

Performance is honest rather than remarkable, and it is worth saying so plainly: 70 dB signal-to-noise, 0.08 percent distortion, and a response held to within 2 dB from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. This is a competent, quiet, inexpensive solution to a connection problem, not a high-end phono stage — and for a listener bringing a turntable to a modern receiver, that is precisely the job that needs doing.

The 3 mV input sensitivity and 50 kΩ input impedance are the standard figures for moving magnet cartridges, which is what the great majority of turntables are fitted with. The housing is an engineered metal alloy rather than plastic, which helps keep radiated noise out of a very low-level signal.

These are brand new and unopened, in retail packaging.

Features

• Converts phono-level signals to line level for any standard input
• Dedicated RCA input and RCA output, left and right
• Rear ground terminal for the turntable ground wire
• 12 volt DC power adapter included
• Ultra-low noise audio conditioning circuitry
• Engineered metal alloy housing
• Compact enough to sit behind or beneath the turntable

Specifications

• Output level: 2 V
• Input sensitivity: 3 mV
• Input impedance: 50 kΩ
• Load impedance: 10 kΩ
• Signal-to-noise ratio: 70 dB (A-weighted)
• Total harmonic distortion: 0.08 percent at 1 kHz, 3 mV input
• Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz, ±2 dB
• Power: 12 V DC via the included adapter

Dimensions: (Width x Height x Depth) 2.13 x 1.02 x 3.54 inches (54 x 26 x 90 mm)
Weight: 0.88 lbs (0.4 kg)
Retail carton: 7.54 x 6.13 x 5.02 inches

New, unopened and genuinely useful — the cheapest way to put a turntable back into a system that has no phono input, without touching the amplifier. Available for pickup by appointment in Kanata, or shipped across Canada and internationally — we have sent equipment to fifteen countries in the past year, each piece packed in-house in 275 lb test double-wall boxes. Live shipping rates for your address are calculated at checkout.

Backed by Radique Audio’s Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty and our Perpetual Trade-Back Program, you can purchase with confidence.