How to connect a turntable
An easy how-to guide for hooking up to receivers, amps, or powered speakers
In this article: We'll cover the fundamentals of how a turntable works and explain the role of the phono preamp in setting up your system. And we'll walk you through three different connection scenarios, including...
...We'll also talk about turntables with modern connection options for streaming, ripping vinyl, and more.
Ready to spin some vinyl? Connecting your turntable is easier than lowering the needle onto your favorite record. Let’s groove through the basics. “Track one, Side One” of this journey is understanding how the turntable works.
Turntables 101
As the record spins, the needle on the tonearm glides over the groove and picks up tiny vibrations. The cartridge, which holds the needle, turns these vibrations into an audio signal. This signal then travels through the turntable to an amplifier, which cranks it up so you can actually hear the music through the speakers. But first, the signal needs a preamp to give it a boost — without it, the sound would be just a faint whisper. That’s why you can’t plug a turntable directly into just any pair of speakers — it needs a bit of extra 'oomph' to actually get the sound going.
If you need help choosing a turntable, check out our turntable buying guide. And our how to set up a turntable video provides great, detailed info as well.
What is a phono preamp?
A preamp takes the weak audio signal from your turntable and gives it a boost using its internal electronics — making it compatible with your receiver, amp, or powered speakers (FYI, since these items have similar connectivity, "receiver" will be used as a catch-all term from here on.) In addition to boosting the signal, a phono preamp also applies the RIAA curve to the audio, to ensure the sound is perfectly balanced.
Understanding the RIAA EQ Curve
During vinyl production, some frequencies are boosted while others are lowered to improve quality and save space. The phono preamp reverses this process during playback, restoring the original audio. Unless you collect a lot of pre-1954 records and equipment, most of your vinyl and gear will use the RIAA curve.
During the recording process, bass frequencies are diminished while upper frequencies are boosted, and during playback, the RIAA circuit in the preamp ensures the opposite happens.
Where is the phono preamp?
The phono preamp will be located in one of the following places:
- In the turntable.
- In the receiver, amplifier, or powered speaker.
- As an outboard device between the turntable and receiver.
Determining the right phono preamp to use will depend on your equipment.
- If the turntable lacks a preamp but the receiver has one, use the receiver’s preamp.
- If your turntable has a preamp but your receiver doesn't, use the turntable’s preamp.
- If neither has a preamp, add an external preamp.
If both the turntable and the receiver have a preamp, you must choose which one to use — but it’s important to not use both at the same time.
Here’s why: the turntable's preamp boosts the cartridge's signal to match what's needed by the audio equipment, while the receiver's phono input amplifies low-level signals. Plugging an already boosted signal into "PHONO" will result in catastrophic failure, with both devices spontaneously combusting and belting out a symphony of screams and smoke signals. Well, not really, but the resulting audio would sound awful.
How to determine which preamp you have
Many new turntables have a built-in preamp, often with an ON/OFF switch. On the receiver, look for a "PHONO" input. This input is designed for turntables only so it can't be reassigned for use with other equipment. If neither the turntable nor receiver has a preamp, you’ll need an external one. These vary in size, shape, price, and features, and can work with both Moving Coil and Moving Magnet cartridges.
Example of the connection panel of a receiver. Note the signal ground next to the "PHONO" input. We'll discuss that later.
Connecting directly to speakers
People often ask if you can hook a turntable up to speakers directly. Well, yes and no. If you have a pair of powered speakers with a phono input, then absolutely — just follow the steps below, substituting "speaker" for "receiver." But if your speakers don't have built-in amplification, you'll need to add an amp or receiver.
A turntable and a set of powered speakers with a phono input gives you an easy, ready-to-rock setup for listening to vinyl — no receiver required.
Making the connections
Now that we have covered all the dry, boring stuff, let's dive into the fun part — making the connections. Here are three scenarios you are most likely to encounter.
Example one: Using the receiver's built-in phono preamp
In this setup, since the receiver has a built-in preamp, the turntable can be connected directly to the "PHONO IN" on the receiver.
Since the receiver has a phono input, we simply plug the turntable's audio cable into it and attach the turntable's ground wire to the receiver's ground terminal. Make sure to set the turntable's preamp switch to PHONO for this scenario.
First, make sure the turntable's preamp is turned off (if it has one). There is a switch for this, often labeled "Phono EQ", which should be set to "Off" or "Thru." Check your turntable’s instructions for more details.
Next, locate the phono input on your receiver, which should be clearly labeled. Lastly, identify the ground terminals on both the turntable and the receiver — small metal lugs near the phono connections — because they will be needed for this scenario.
Now, connect the turntable’s "Phono Out" to the receiver’s "Phono In", and in this application, you'll need to use a ground wire.
Grounding prevents unwanted hum or buzzing by stabilizing the electrical connection, reducing interference and electrical noise that can sometimes creep in on lower-voltage signals like the one being sent from the turntable. The audio cable provided with the turntable should have grounding forks on each end to allow for this connection.
An illustration of the grounding forks on phono cables. One side goes to the receiver and the other to the turntable.
Finally, select the phono input on the receiver, cue the record, drop the needle, and start playback. Just a heads-up, the volume might be a bit lower than other sources that you listen to, so you might need to turn it up a bit. Totally normal!
Example two: Using the turntable's built-in preamp
First, ensure the preamp on your turntable is switched on. As before, this is typically controlled by a switch labeled "Phono EQ", though it might have a different name, so consult your turntable’s instructions if you need to.
Since the turntable has a built-in preamp, you can connect it to any input on the receiver that accepts a red/white RCA cable, like LINE or AUX IN. Remember, avoid using the one labeled "PHONO" or terrible, awful, no good, bad things will happen.
Depending on which input you choose, you might need to adjust the receiver's settings. Consult your receiver's owner's manual for detailed instructions on making these adjustments.
This turntable has a built-in phono preamp, so we'll turn it on by setting the switch to LINE and then plug the audio cables into one of our receiver's analog inputs.
Finally, plug the RCA cables into the receiver. No need for a ground wire since you’re sending a higher-level signal from the turntable. Remember, phono signals are a bit lower than other sources, so you will most likely need to adjust the volume a bit.
Select the appropriate input on the receiver, start your record, and BOOM! — Frampton Comes Alive in your living room.
Example three: Neither the turntable nor the receiver has a preamp
Since we don’t have a preamp built into the equipment, we’ll need to add an external one. Here's how it works — we'll connect the turntable directly to the external preamp, and then like before connect to any input on the receiver that accepts a red/white RCA cable, like LINE or AUX IN.
Choosing an external preamp can be a bit of a maze since there are various models with different features. Check out our article on choosing a phono preamp for more details. For simplicity, let's focus on a basic setup. Always refer to your preamp’s manual for specific setup information.
First, check your preamp’s manual for specific setup details as the preamp might need to be fine-tuned to match your cartridge’s specs. Next, find the inputs and outputs on the preamp.
Connect the turntable to the preamp using RCA cables from the "PHONO OUT" on the turntable to the input on the preamp. Don’t forget to attach the ground wire from the turntable to the preamp’s grounding lug to improve sound quality and reduce noise.
This system's turntable and receiver lack a built-in phono preamp, so we added one. We'll connect the turntable's audio signal cable and ground wire to the separate phono preamp box, then plug the preamp into one of the receiver's analog audio inputs.
Finally, connect the output of the preamp to an available analog input on the receiver. As a reminder, avoid connecting to the phono input on the receiver — trust me, it won’t end well, especially for your ears! As before, some receivers allow you to customize input assignments, so consult your manual if needed.
Don’t forget to plug in and power up the preamp. It needs electricity to work properly, and some models might have an on/off switch.
Select the correct input on your receiver, cue up your record, drop the needle, and spin that black circle.
Let your ears decide
If your receiver and turntable both have built-in phono preamps, and your turntable has a switch to bypass or turn it off, you can test to see which preamp sounds best. You might find that one sounds noticeably better than the other.
Even if your receiver has a built-in phono preamp, upgrading to a separate, external phono preamp can still be beneficial. Outboard phono preamps often feature higher-quality circuitry and offer settings and adjustments that can enhance sound quality.
What about wireless options?
In addition to standard hookup options, some modern turntables offer cable-free connectivity via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi — adding more versatility to your setup. Some turntables have built-in support for popular streaming platforms like Sonos, MusicCast, and Apple AirPlay. They enable compatible network-connected receivers to identify the turntable and process the audio without the need for physical connections.
Bluetooth devices like portable speakers or headphones can easily be paired with compatible turntables to offer personal, untethered listening from anywhere in the room.
Turntables with wireless streaming capabilities, like the Victrola Stream Carbon, can allow for big sound from a minimal setup.
Need to connect to a computer?
A few manufacturers now offer turntables with USB outputs, enabling easy integration with a computer. This feature is especially useful for digitizing records. These "needle drop" recordings are quite popular, and with software like Audacity, you can edit, track, and convert vinyl rips into a wide variety of digital formats, for use with your phone or portable music player.
Expert advice for your system
If picking out a turntable or connecting it to your system seems a bit intimidating, we’re here for you. If you have questions or just need a little guidance finding exactly what you’re looking for, you can always get in touch with one of our friendly Advisors. And don't forget free lifetime tech support is included with your Crutchfield purchase.