Home > Consumer Reviews > ART DJ Pre II Phono Preamp

About a year ago, I got a great deal on a 7 speaker surround sound system that was a vast improvement over my old (as in 20 years old) two-speaker stereo. The only catch was that the system did not come with a phono input and I still have over 100 LPs from the days of my youth. This fall, I decided it was time to start listening to records again, so I started shopping around on-line. I stumbled upon the ART DJ Pre II Phono Preamp and its more sophisticated sibling, the ART V2 USB Phono Plus DJ Preamp. I opted for the lower tech version (without USB, optical, and other output options) because my computer's sound card has RCA inputs and because I primarily just want to listen, not convert my old LPs and because I liked the $44. price tag on the Pre II. It took less than 10 minutes to have it on-line and playing an old favorite. It has a simple interface of an output knob, two in-out buttons for the input limiter and the low-end cut (to reduce rumble) and a VERY bright blue power light. I chose an 1960s release of Debussy favorites that had seen a LOT of play in my childhood on less than audiophile quality turntables. I was impressed at how little noise came through the system and was very pleased with the over-all results. Although I am a musician and love music of all kinds, I need to tell you that my ears often are unoffended by little things that my more discerning friends find fault with. I want to hear the music with as little background noise (hiss, pop, or rumble) as possible and the ART DJ Pre II does that for me. I did not need to the input cap or low cut filters that toggle on an off on the front of the unit, it just sounds great on my system. There are just two things I would like to change about it. I am a very power-conscious person and there is no on/off switch on the unit. Furthermore, it is a DC powered unit with an inverter brick that also stays warm whether the unit is in use or not. Eventually, I will rearrange my power strip for my entire system so that I can kill the power when I am not using it, but it annoys me that the unit can't be a little "greener". and speaking of colors, the ultra-blue LED power light actually hurts my eyes to look at it. I will probably solve this problem with a piece of electrical tape. A quarter the brightness would give me the information that I need: that is whether or mot the unit has power. Still, I am pleased with the unit and give it a qualified thumbs-up.

I purchased this preamp so I could enjoy using my turntable once again. I had recently gotten the turntable out and plugged it up to my wife's stereo, which has no phono inputs. I was disapointed to find that the volume level was virtually nonexistent, so I bought the preamp, actually, as a result of all the positive reviews on Amazon. I finally used it for the first time today, not with the stereo, but in conjunction with a CD burner tht I have. I tried to hook the turntable up to my laptop and use the Audacity software, but I wasn't able to get that to work (I think because I was plugged into the mic jack- my laptop does not have a line in). At any rate, I was able to create a .wav file and it sounded terrible. So, I got out my old Pioneer CDR burner that is a stereo component, and I plugged the turntable to the preamp and right into the Pioneer. I was quickly able to do an input check and monitor the recording level, and within minutes, I was recording my vinyl onto a CDR. I later imported the CDR to my computer using Rhapsody and I have to say, it sounds like I am listening to vinyl right out of my computer. I am very satisfied with the DJ preamp. It is easy to use, and I have had no noise introduced that some others have complained about, so I have not had to use the ground at all. I'm looking forward to plugging this up to my stereo and just listening to all my old albums. You can't beat the price, either. Nice product!

I purchased this product specifically for the adjustable gain and clip signal LED for use with an early 80s relatively high-end vintage turntable with a very modern receiver. I was having issues where clipping, which is not necessarily audible and can vary greatly between different LPs, was triggering my receiver's protection circuit. Other preamps with an adjustable gain and switchable impendence with subsonic filters if needed, can cost considerably more than this unit's $50 price tag. As far I a can tell, other than similar products from ART, this may very well be the only unit on the market with a visual clip signal, which is a great feature for quick fine-tuning of individual LPs. So far, this unit fits my needs perfectly. The LEDs are very bright, but I keep this unit relatively out of sight, yet readily accessible. I cannot tell you how this unit compares to audiophile grade ones running $300 - $1,500, but I have owned a couple of different preamps and from what I can tell with the use of a Grado Gold1 cartridge, the music remains detailed and the range remains dynamic.

Tonight, I just ordered my second one. It's output is a flat line, 20-20,000hz, low noise, adjustable gain, durable case, ground wire for your turntable. I found the output of my second turntable (Denon DP300F) preamp wasn't as good as the ART DJ PRE II, so I ordered one for that turntable. I'm being honest, if you don't have $200-300, this is the only high quality preamp on the market.

Is a very nice and aficient Phono Preamp, no noise,no rumble, no distortion.
I'm happy with my buy.
Tray it with one.
Fernando