Topic: Newby: What A/D converter for connecting a Phono pre amp to the DAC

Hello everybody,

hopefully I will get my ADI 2 DAC next week. Because of the needed remote I choose the DAC, but I would still like to connect my phono pre. Do you have any recommendations? Is the Oehlbach A/D Bridge or the Swissonic D/A 24/192 good enough?
Thanks a lot!

Re: Newby: What A/D converter for connecting a Phono pre amp to the DAC

I use the Pro-ject phono ebox optical. It is a mm pre amp with riaa eq, an AD converter and an optical output. Vinyl purists will not like it but I think it is just fine. I do not know of any measurements but other Pro-ject electronics have measured well.

RME ADI-2 DAC fs, Quad 606-2 power amp, Quad 2805 speakers, B&W PV1d sub with Antimode 8033 Cinema

Re: Newby: What A/D converter for connecting a Phono pre amp to the DAC

Thanks a lot!

Re: Newby: What A/D converter for connecting a Phono pre amp to the DAC

Dear all ,
I would appreciate more ideas other than the pro-ject phono e box.

I would not change my Lehmann Audio Black Cube SE.

What about the Oehlbach A/D Bridge or the cypress technologi CYP DCT-9DN DAC and ADC

Thanks for your input

5 (edited by ramses 2020-12-27 13:06:16)

Re: Newby: What A/D converter for connecting a Phono pre amp to the DAC

IMHO the cleaner approach would be to get the ADI-2 Pro FS R BE. If you use a quite inexpensive A/D converter at the start of your signal chain, then the quality later can not be enhanced by any other product.

Another advantage for you is, that the optical port stays free for other purposes, like e.g. to connect your TV to the ADI-2 * so that you can enjoy movies with the enhanced audio quality of your ADI-2 * D/A converter and your HiFi. You will be astonished how fabulous audio quality of TV productions (streaming movies, etc) is.

You can even connect a quite inexpensive  4:1 TOSLINK switcher with remote in front of your ADI-2 *, then you can connect
- PC
- Bluray Player
- TV
- ...
digitally to your ADI-2 * and listen in best quality through your HiFi.
A TOSLINK switcher that supports up to 192 kHz and looks also quite nice is this one here:
https://www.oehlbach.com/de/neuheiten/e … l-4-1-mkii
But look to get the Mk II, the older product had the wrong TOSLINKs inside that supported only 96 kHz although the product claimed to support 192 kHz.

Here an example diagram to make it easier to understand what I mean:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/yprs411oi8isbam/ADI-2%20Pro%20FS%20R%20BE%20Use%20Cases.jpg?dl=1

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13

6 (edited by KaiS 2020-12-29 14:35:31)

Re: Newby: What A/D converter for connecting a Phono pre amp to the DAC

Impossible to recommend a Phono Pre without knowing the model of the phono cartridge and turntable.

For MM-cartridges the overall, combined load capacitance from:
• Tonearm, tuntable's internal cabling,
• Interconnect cable,
• Peamp input capacitance,
make a night and day difference.

Usually the result is way too high, causing a 12 dB/ Okt. steep high cut above 8-10 kHz, and a strong resonance boost right below.


Cartridge manufacturers recommend a certain load capacitance, usually somewhere around 250 pF.
Most turntable/cable/preamp combinations end up at 600 pF and more, causing the above.


With MC-cartridges the situation is completely different.

Re: Newby: What A/D converter for connecting a Phono pre amp to the DAC

ramses: awesome diagramme! ...... good to know I can directly connect the  ADI-2 Pro FS R BE to the Lehmann Audio Black Cube SE. Indeed, havin the ADI-2 Pro FS R BE open lots of possibilities. It increases the budget though but I understand the lots of advantages, thanks

kais, thanks for the comments.

chris-108, thanks for asking the question in first place. : )


ramses wrote:

IMHO the cleaner approach would be to get the ADI-2 Pro FS R BE. If you use a quite inexpensive A/D converter at the start of your signal chain, then the quality later can not be enhanced by any other product.

Another advantage for you is, that the optical port stays free for other purposes, like e.g. to connect your TV to the ADI-2 * so that you can enjoy movies with the enhanced audio quality of your ADI-2 * D/A converter and your HiFi. You will be astonished how fabulous audio quality of TV productions (streaming movies, etc) is.

You can even connect a quite inexpensive  4:1 TOSLINK switcher with remote in front of your ADI-2 *, then you can connect
- PC
- Bluray Player
- TV
- ...
digitally to your ADI-2 * and listen in best quality through your HiFi.
A TOSLINK switcher that supports up to 192 kHz and looks also quite nice is this one here:
https://www.oehlbach.com/de/neuheiten/e … l-4-1-mkii
But look to get the Mk II, the older product had the wrong TOSLINKs inside that supported only 96 kHz although the product claimed to support 192 kHz.

Here an example diagram to make it easier to understand what I mean:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/yprs411oi8isbam/ADI-2%20Pro%20FS%20R%20BE%20Use%20Cases.jpg?dl=1

Re: Newby: What A/D converter for connecting a Phono pre amp to the DAC

You're welcome :-)

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13

Re: Newby: What A/D converter for connecting a Phono pre amp to the DAC

Has anyone tried Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 as a ADC between a Phono pre amp out and ADI-2 DAC?

It measures quite well when it was reviewed at Audio Science Review.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/foru … iew.10187/

Squeezebox Touch => RME ADI-2 DAC FS => Nord One MP NC252 => System Audio Ranger Master

Re: Newby: What A/D converter for connecting a Phono pre amp to the DAC

maho wrote:

Has anyone tried Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 as a ADC between a Phono pre amp out and ADI-2 DAC?

It measures quite well when it was reviewed at Audio Science Review.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/foru … iew.10187/

This makes no sense. The Scarlett 2i2 has no digital output compatible with the ADI-2 DAC. The Focusrite recording interface would have to have at least an ADAT or optical SPDIF output.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13

Re: Newby: What A/D converter for connecting a Phono pre amp to the DAC

Thanks Ramses for your reply. I was hoping the USB interface was compatible.

Squeezebox Touch => RME ADI-2 DAC FS => Nord One MP NC252 => System Audio Ranger Master

12 (edited by ramses 2020-12-29 20:59:07)

Re: Newby: What A/D converter for connecting a Phono pre amp to the DAC

Already thought so. No the USB interface is only for the connection to something like a PC not a general purpose I/O compareable to ADAT, SPDIF, MADI, ...

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13