How to Connect a Turntable/Record Player to a Receiver?

While looking for a unique sound experience, you might have inadvertently stumbled into the world of vinyl records and turntables. It sounds classy playing music from a turntable, especially if its components are set optimally. But, do you feel lost about setting up your equipment like a turntable? Let our sound engineers teach you how to connect a turntable to a receiver in this guide.

Why Connect Your Turntable to a Receiver?

In order to listen to vinyl, your set-up must have all of the following components:  turntable, pre-amp, amplifier receivers, and speakers. While some equipment combines two or more of these components, it is important to have all four to play a vinyl record. 

Unlike record players—which has all four components in one—the turntable is merely the device that reads the grooves in the vinyl record. It produces a signal which the pre-amp boosts. This receiver then further strengthens the signal, which the speakers can convert into audible sound. Essentially, a turntable that is not connected to a receiver and speaker cannot produce music.

While pre-amps can be bought separately, many receivers for turntables already have pre-amps built into them. In such cases where the receiver or turntable has a built-in phono pre-amp, you can connect the turntable directly to the receiver.

Identifying Phono Pre-amp on Your Receiver and Turntable

A receiver with a built-in pre-amp will have input ports with the label “Phono”. If your receiver does not have this label, you can check if your turntable has a built-in pre-amp. Most turntables have a built-in pre-amp, and you can see this if it has a “Thru/Phone EQ switch”.

Ways to Connect Your Pre-Amp Receiver and Turntable

1. Turntable with a Built-In Pre-Amp

To connect your turntable with a built-in pre-amp to your receiver, plug by matching the colors of your RCA-type stereo cable (one red and one white on both ends) to the corresponding colors of the output of your turntable. You can plug in any of the options of your receiver (it can be “Line”, “Audio”, “CD”, or “Auxiliary”), simply match the red and white colors. 

On a turntable with a built-in pre-amp, there is a switch called “Thru/Phone EQ switch”. Make sure to turn on the switch when connecting to a receiver without a built-in pre-amp. If your turntable has a ground wire, connect it to the metal post labeled “GND”.

2. Receiver with Built-In Pre-Amp

Our audio experts say that the shortest way to connect your turntable to a receiver is when the receiver has a built-in pre-amp. Simply plug the red and white connections of the RCA-type stereo cable into the turntable. Then connect the other end of this cable to the corresponding red and white “Phono” input of the receiver. If your turntable has a ground wire, connect it to the metal post labeled “GND”.

3. Turntable and Receiver with Pre-amps

Similar to the previous instructions, connect the red and white plugs of the RCA-type stereo cable to the turntable output and the other end of the cable to the corresponding red and white “Phono” input of the receiver. 

Since both your turntable and receiver have pre-amps this time, it is better to turn off the pre-amp in the turntable. You can do this by switching the “Thru/Phone EQ switch” to “Thru” instead of “ON”. Only one pre-amp has to run, and in general, built-in pre-amps in receivers are better than built-in pre-amps in turntables. If your turntable has a ground wire, connect it to the metal post labeled “GND”.

4. Separate Phono Pre-Amps

If both your turntable and receiver do not have built-in pre-amps, the only option is to connect the turntable to a separate pre-amp [1] first, then connect the pre-amp to the receiver. The RCA-type stereo cable is connected to the phono output of the turntable and the other end to the “Phono” input of the pre-amp. 

If your turntable has a ground wire, connect it to the metal post labeled “GND” on the pre-amp. Connect another set RCA-type stereo cable to the pre-amp’s output and connect the other end of this cable to the receiver’s input.

Connecting to Speakers

Connect the speakers to the receiver by connecting the RCA cables to the corresponding output ports on the receiver. Some cables may have black plugs instead of white. Simply connect the black to the white output port.

Conclusion

How to connect your turntable to a receiver is very easy. Our sound engineers say that the rule of thumb is to connect the cables to the inputs with the same color. If you have all four of the components—turntable, pre-amp, receiver, and speakers—connected, then all there is to do is relax and enjoy the music.

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