I am hoping you folks will be able to help me. I am trying to hook up my turn table (Pioneer PL-530) to my Outlaw 950. I am using a cheap little Behringer preamp (UF202) The problem is the volume drops drasticly when I try to use it. I connected it into the CD inputs and the tape inputs with the same results. I tried Stereo bypass and standard stereo in both inputs...same results.

I listen to Movies around -25 and TV around -32. When I play Cd's through my blu ray player (LG BD-390) volume is about -25. When I use the turn table, I have to raise the gain to about -10 to have it as loud as say TV at -32... thats a big drop. Its not just a drop in gain either, even when comparitivly loud, there is a dullness to the sound.

I took my Turn table (same cart) and connected it to my buddy's Boston Acoustic amp into the phono inputs and it sounded amazing!!! So that rules out cart. Next, we connected the table to an Aux in (I'm guessing no phono preamp stage at this input) We used my cheap Behringer preamp.. It sounded just as amazing as the built in boston acoustic phono stage.

To me that rules out it being the preamp, unless the Boston reciever has that phono stage at every input. We used the same cables to connect everything each time, so its not cables.

What do you guy's think is going on? Again it's not just the volume drop, the dullness or lifeless sound is a problem.

Your volume numbers aren't that unusual. Turntables generally require a lot more gain than most other sourced.

I hear you...but that much? I mean thats like really working the 755 amp. It sounds crapy too. I mean if this is vinyl, you can keep it. I'll go back to CD. I hooked this same turn table up to my buddy's system and it sounded great. You could hear with total sureness that the vinyl sounded warmer and more realistic then the CD. On my system, it sounds like I'm listening to an AM clock radio in the trunk of a car. Its lifeless and dull when turned up.

I dont buy the Boston Acoustic amp is just plain better then my Outlaw. My CD's sound much better (to me) on my system then on his, its just the vinyl that sounds better on his. Are outlaw products poor performers with vinyl?

You need a phono preamp between your turntable and your 950 input (I use Aux1 on my 950). Turntable output is extremely low, and a phono preamp is needed to boost this, as well as reverse the RIAA equalization that's applied to all LPs. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RIAA_equalization for more details on RIAA eq)

In years past, most receivers had phono inputs, but once the CD surpassed the LP in popularity, most receivers dropped the phono input. The 950 has no phono input, but the forthcoming 998 will have one, I believe.

There are dozens of phono preamps in varying price ranges and sound qualities. I use and recommend the Cambridge Audio Azur 540p or 640p. Quite affordable with very decent sound quality.

The UFO202 is a cheap phono pre-amp and if it worked well with your buddies amp it should work with the 950. Make sure it is powered and selected to the phono input.