Phono Stage

The phono stage sits between your cartridge and your amplifier and does two things that nothing else in the chain does: it amplifies a signal that's typically 40dB weaker than a line-level source, and it applies the RIAA equalisation curve that every commercial record since 1954 has been pressed with. Without that EQ correction, vinyl would sound thin and bright — the curve boosts bass and cuts treble on playback to undo what was done during cutting. This isn't a subtle effect. Get it wrong and nothing downstream can fix it.

The built-in vs external debate is less about snobbery than it is about signal path. Built-in phono stages are designed to a cost and space constraint that rarely favours low noise. An external stage moves that circuitry away from the motor and power supply — two of the worst noise sources in any turntable — and gives the designer room to do the job properly. At the £150–£300 price point, a dedicated external stage almost always outperforms whatever is built into a deck at the same total budget.

Gain and loading are the two practical settings you'll encounter on any phono stage worth buying. Gain needs to match your cartridge output — too little and you'll crank the volume control and amplify noise; too much and you'll clip. Loading sets the impedance seen by the cartridge and directly affects high-frequency response and loading-induced resonance. This guide explains both parameters clearly, with the numbers you actually need to match your cartridge to your stage.