Pyle Mini Phono Turntable Preamp - Low Noise Stereo Preamplifier with RCA Input/Output - 12V DC Adapter - High-Fidelity Audio for Vinyl - Phonograph - Home Audio - PP999

I was digitizing my album collection and was using a McLelland pre-amp. The McLelland pre-amp was more expensive than the Pyle and had better specs. (It had a better signal to noise ratio.) During recording, there would be occasional "dropouts" where sound would be lost for a second. At first, I accepted this as an isolated quirk and just re-recorded the songs where that occurred.That got real old after ten albums and I decided to try and nail down the problem. I first swapped out the turntable cartridge and needle, but the problem persisted. I then swapped out the McLelland pre-amp for the Pyle....no more dropouts!Not only that, but the bass was much improved and the sound was louder. I'm using Audacity (an awesome free editing program) and had to amplify the songs after they were recorded using the McLelland and the bass was also very weak.This just goes to show you that more expensive doesn't necessarily mean better. I now have a thirty dollar paperweight.I'm in the process of re-recording the albums that were recorded using the McLelland pre-amp and the Pyle has been performing without a hitch. There's no need to amplify the songs recorded using the Pyle so it's one less thing to have to do.The Pyle pre-amp is deceivingly small. It measures approximately 3 9/16" L X 2 1/8" W x 1 1/8" H. It doesn't have a dedicated grounding terminal like the McLelland but that isn't a problem at all. There's 4 Philips head screws on the unit. I inserted a small washer under the screw that's closest to the phono input jacks. To attach the ground wire from the turntable, I just loosen the screw and slip the prong from the grounding wire between the washer and the unit and tighten the screw. This works like a charm, no buzz/hum. You could probably get by without a washer but I feel that it gives more surface contact area for the grounding. (I've uploaded some photos in the "Customer Images" section showing this.)The Pyle pre-amp is a little bigger than a pack of cigarettes and comes in a chintzy looking blister pack but don't let looks fool you. This pre-amp is a solid performer and well worth the money.

Works perfect

This phonograph preamp really does the job it sets to do well. It does not alter the sound in any way, just amplifies to a line-level input; I use it with a line input on a stereo from 2005 and find that I need to have its volume on the stereo set twice as high as any other input (tape, CD, radio) but makes it usable. The lack of volume isn't a big deal though as that provides wiggle room if I were to add a tube preamp to adjust the sound as well, which often those can increase volume to bring it up to the other line levels. The ground works well and there is no hum from the turntable at all. The construction seems very solid, but you can tell cost-effective measures were taken to keep it affordable while keeping the build quality great. For example I initially had the left and right channels reversed when I hooked it up because the colors on the phono input were incorrect; the same RCA plugs were used on each side and that made the colors backwards on the input side... they are labelled correctly on the case of the unit so follow the label on the case instead of the color! Also the ground screw is not a thumb screw as pictured but a very stiff hex screw; I needed to use a pliers to actually move it to get the ground wire secured in place, but once it's done it's done. I do like that the unit itself is silent, does not get warm in the least, and has no lights to distract you. An on-off switch would be a nice addition but I solved this concern by having it on a switched surge protector (from Trickle Star) that automatically turns on when the stereo turns on. All in all a good product at a very good price point.

I'm writing this review on the same day I am retiring my Pyle PP999 phono preamp. It wasn't until now that I realized what a gem this little guy really is.First, let's get the obvious out of the way- the is THE entry level of entry levels when in comes to phono preamps. You are not looking at this if you are anything approaching an audiophile. But for a budding (or reawakening) vinyl enthusiast of modest means who needs a phono preamp, the Pyle PP999 will serve you well as you feel out whether you want to go further with vinyl.I would say that this it the PERFECT choice for folks who have gotten their hands on a turntable somehow and just want to dip their toes into the water to start. For $15 this will produce admirable sound quality for the price. It is fantastic value at the $15-$20 price point. Use this with a pair of Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers and you can have that turntable spinning out some tunes for $115 (R1280T's only recommended for bedrooms, offices or small man caves).The sound quality on this is very good. Not excellent. Not great. Just very good. Operation is extremely easy. It is small...slightly larger than a deck of cards and very easy to hide away somewhere. I Velcro-ed it to back of my cabinet and completely out of sight. The build quality is excellent for the price point with an all metal housing and plugs that are mounted very securely. Even after taking the casing apart (I said I was retiring it), I still couldn't get the plugs to even wobble on the board. I am confident that this little guys could take quite a beating if I gave it one. The power plug is a wall wart type that might cover an extra space on your power strip- just fyi. Bottom line- For the price of a decent lunch this preamp is a very nice option if you are in a place where money really matters.Today as I unplugged my Pyle PP999 to replace it with an upgrade I realized that it had paid for itself many many times over as it allowed me to affordably dip my toes back into vinyl after pulled my turntable out of storage where it sat for 17 years. Since I had the turntable and already owned the Edifier speakers I mentioned above (their dual inputs allow them do double duty between my PC and my TT) I was able to start enjoying my collection again for an extremely affordable price. It worked without a single problem or issue the entire time I used it and can't recommend it enough if you need something very affordable, well built and that good sound.