re: Audiophile/Vinyl Thread - Post Pics, Advice, Questions, Setups, etc.

Just a little technical info some of you may enjoy regarding what a "phono stage" or "phono amp" does as the signal leaves the cartridge en route to the Pre amp or power amp.

When a vinyl record is made the volume of the bass is reduced and the treble is increased. Otherwise, the bass would cut a groove too big for a stylus to read or for the music to fit the record. The phonostage reverses the process by taking the delicate signal from your cartridge and adjusting it so that the bass and treble are restored to their original volume. This common standard is known as the RIAA curve.

You will often see RIAA printed on many LPs from the 60's and 70's as it was a relatively new standard. Prior to this, different record companies had their own equalization curves (Decca comes to mind) and there was really no standard.
RIAA changed that and the above is the explanation why it was needed.

Enjoy the listen...