RCA confusion

[Sansiiro]

How about a cheap, quick answer to your issue? £43, job done.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nobsound-...sAAOSwZp5fMQu8

Thanks! Another option. However perhaps not for long time. I hear people are warning against cheap pre-amps.
I was thinking in the lines of Schiit Freya or Denafrips Hestia. In a long scheme of things.
As for now I think I will order the 4£ little dongle, test it once my power-amp arrives, with-and-without the dongle, and also with integrated amp's pre-amp function.
After that new decisions.

[Filterlab]

I’d avoid cheap active pre amps, but a passive pre amp is essentially a variable resistor which is very unlikely to do harm anywhere.

[Sansiiro]

I’d avoid cheap active pre amps, but a passive pre amp is essentially a variable resistor which is very unlikely to do harm anywhere.

That is encouraging. I am led to believe that active preamps are mostly for the vinyl-lovers, since the turntable signal is weak.
And having assumed that adding gain to signal is the most demanding job for the pre-amp, if we can skip that (using digital source),
the source selection and volume control could be done within a reasonable cost.

While believing there are many magnificent active preamps which will improve the sound of ANY source, I will postpone
this purchase into unforseeable future. Of course, I don't own a turntable.

[anthonyTD]

Hi Veiko,
Preamplifiers for Turntable also have the Necessary RIAA components along with the gain needed to drive a line level power amp or passive preamp, a line level preamp can be active or passive, hope this helps.
A...

That is encouraging. I am led to believe that active preamps are mostly for the vinyl-lovers, since the turntable signal is weak.
And having assumed that adding gain to signal is the most demanding job for the pre-amp, if we can skip that (using digital source),
the source selection and volume control could be done within a reasonable cost.

While believing there are many magnificent active preamps which will improve the sound of ANY source, I will postpone
this purchase into unforseeable future. Of course, I don't own a turntable.

[Blackdog]

A cheap preamp will sound better than what you are proposing to do. Whichever source you are not using will adversely affect the other especially when the non-used source is off. The off source will present a low, very non-linear load to the other source as they are in parallel with each other. The result will be significant distortion.
As to why the markings being for Left an Right. These adapters are for making a stereo signal into mono. The are not for connecting two sources into one input.
Get a cheap preamp.

[Lawrence001]

That is encouraging. I am led to believe that active preamps are mostly for the vinyl-lovers, since the turntable signal is weak.
And having assumed that adding gain to signal is the most demanding job for the pre-amp, if we can skip that (using digital source),
the source selection and volume control could be done within a reasonable cost.

While believing there are many magnificent active preamps which will improve the sound of ANY source, I will postpone
this purchase into unforseeable future. Of course, I don't own a turntable.

Many digital lovers also prefer active preamps, it's a hot debate as to which sounds better. Both can sound good depending on a number of factors including the input impedance of the power amp and (less so) the output impedance of the source, the ability of the analogue stage of the digital sources to "drive" the power amp (eg those taken direct from the leg of the DAC chip may be too weak), and general synergy. I've seen many people try passives and go back to active preamps.

Personally I like a passive in the right system but unless you get a fancy one with remote volume etc. they are usually rather "hair shirt" in both features and looks.

There's a nice Tisbury Mk2 for sale (my old one) which is a great starter passive and good enough for many in the long run (if you don't get stuck in the rut of comparing it against other passives to see which has more drive or transparency and just leave it in place and enjoy).

Sent from my HRY-LX1 using Tapatalk

[Sansiiro]

A cheap preamp will sound better than what you are proposing to do. Whichever source you are not using will adversely affect the other especially when the non-used source is off. The off source will present a low, very non-linear load to the other source as they are in parallel with each other. The result will be significant distortion.
As to why the markings being for Left an Right. These adapters are for making a stereo signal into mono. The are not for connecting two sources into one input.
Get a cheap preamp.

That is very useful for me to know. I have some time to choose the pre-amp now, until I get more money.

I could not find your post about the Tisbury Mk2, Lawrence. But if my research is correct, it has no remote.
I definately will need a remote, I am also hoping to find one with balanced inputs.

It would be good to also have headphone out, but I have not seen this very much.
That could possibly be substituted with some streamer-dac-headamp-preamp- combo, but that's another case.
I might opt for a separate headphone-amp.

[spendorman]

A cheap preamp will sound better than what you are proposing to do. Whichever source you are not using will adversely affect the other especially when the non-used source is off. The off source will present a low, very non-linear load to the other source as they are in parallel with each other. The result will be significant distortion.
As to why the markings being for Left an Right. These adapters are for making a stereo signal into mono. The are not for connecting two sources into one input.
Get a cheap preamp.

I am not sure about this. The input selector switching should isolate one source from another.

[Sansiiro]

I am not sure about this. The input selector switching should isolate one source from another.

But with these little plugs (see the first post) there would be no input selector.

[spendorman]

But with these little plugs (see the first post) there would be no input selector.

I suspect that it will work in most instances, especially when there is a fairly large series resistor (fairly common) in the output of each source. But ideally input switching, say with a passive switchbox (don't like the term passive preamp) is preferred.