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Recently retired, I now have the time and motivation to digitize selections from my rather large collection of LPs. The vintage turntable preamp that I had intended to use developed a faulty left channel, forcing me to remove it from the mix, and find a suitable replacement. This failed preamp was highly regarded for its state of the art phono section, and I knew that a replacement of its caliber was going to cost me some serious coin! Notice that I began this review by stating “recently retired”, and that translates into: Serious Coin is used for prioritized needs and wants… Groceries or expensive pre-amp? Hmmm! Enter the ART Pro Audio DJPRE II Phono Preamp. Although I have never used an ART component, I am familiar with the company by reputation, and decided it would be a no brainer to give one of their products a shot, that of course being the object of this review. Expense wise, I guess one could say, it’s right on the money, but would it be sufficient to fulfill my needs? Absolutely. Its minuscule chassis is well built, and esthetically pleasing, and would be fairly inconspicuous if not for its “airport landing strip” blue LED located on the face of the unit. No joke, this thing throws enough light to illuminate every corner of my 12 x 15 music room at night. Annoying?, yes, but that is its only kink in the armor, IMHO. Maybe a dab of black paint? I did not take a look-see at the circuitry encased, so I cannot comment on the quality of the components within. I’m sure, based on price alone, that there is nothing esoteric in the internal parts, my hunch being cheap Chinese components. Regardless, whatever is used is implemented in the design to perform adequately and reliably. To be honest, I have yet to record but a handful of LPs, but have not noticed any degradation of the signal using this preamp in the chain. Combined with the recording software I have chosen, the digitized version is almost indistinguishable from its analog source (to this old man’s ears), so what more could I ask for? With the exception of the blue beacon that resides on the face of this preamp, I am thoroughly satisfied with the ART DJPRE II. It amplifies the stylus’s signal, and outputs that signal upstream without adding any noticeable coloration or distortion. For me and the money, it’s a Gimme.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Over the past 3-5 years, I probably purchased 3-4 different phono preamps. Whenever I was looking for one, I passed on the ART DJ PRE II Preamp.Typically I passed, because the design (as far as I could tell from internet photos, looked cheap to me). I'm kind of kicking myself for not giving this a go, earlier. This preamp is great! It is solidly built, with a metal chassis. I love that it has a gain knob. Gain knobs, have oddly been one of my 'want' lists for phono preamps, which is funny because they are a rare feature. The sound output on this unit is so great, that I haven't even had to adjust the Gain (something I had to do in the past to compensate for LP pressings that had less-than-desirable fidelity). The sound passing through is crisp, with absolutely no 'noise' 'hiss', etc. Of note, as well, I don't have anything connected to the Ground (earth) pin. So if you're someone who has a turntable that doesn't have a ground wire, then there's potential that you may not need it with this pre-amp. I'm using a Technics SL-1200 M3D (which has had the ground wire integrated with the RCA plugs) *for whatever that info is worth*. Over the sound and build quality of this phono preamp is much higher than I expected, and will most likely meet and exceed the needs of anyone who is looking in this pricepoint.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
It was just what I needed. Picks up quality sound from my vinyl and is easy to use. Would recommend to anyone that needs a quality pre-amp at a reasonable price. Their are many out there with a much higher price tag but for someone looking to use their old turntable again, I highly recommend.this. .
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Using it for a turntable. Sounds good. No noise. No power switch, but I have it plugged into a power bar along with a fan that helps cool my receiver, so I just switch the plug bar off when I finish listening to music. Would be nice to add the power switch, but overall a great little preamp. Note: only had this for a week, so I'm not sure of the longevity yet.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
I have an audiophile turntable setup, using a Shure M97xe cartridge, and this outperforms most of the more expensive preamps! As long as you use well shielded RCA cables and keep them away from power sources, it does great! My turntable is grounded internally as well, and I've had no problems at all. Highly recommend!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
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