sounds great with my cambridge phono pre.
Vinyl noob here so take what will serve you. But a long time pseudo audiophile. I have heard 100k systems to modest 1k systems so...
Sounds good overall...not great yet. I used the built in phono pre amp and used the off feature and pass the signal to my cambridge phono pre. The latter was obviously better by a huge margin. The depth is more pronounce, the highs are less muddle and more sparkly, and bass is more refine, control, and punchier. Use a external phono pre amp people. This combo yields good result.
Did a FLAC/Digital vs. Vinyl test, not anything scientifically but just a casual listening session. I noticed the the vinyl versions of the songs I used appeared to me to sound fuller and more musical...cliche I know. Best word I can use. The flac files exhibit more crispness and the S/N ration was obviously better. The instruments on the vinyl sounded more natural, like hearing it being played live in the room. On the digital front, the sounds sounded more analytical. Sound stage belongs to vinyl. Best thing I love about vinyl are the mid bass, Awesome compared digital.
In the future:
Working on modding the unit bypassing the internal phono/usb module. From what I am gathering from the net, the difference is significant. This is under the assumption that your stereo system down the food chain is worth a buck or two, My modest mid fi system may warrant that. The mod may yield profound difference, particularly in the upper echelon of freq.
Overall, I am pleased with this purchase. I recommend it casual listener to reasonable audiophile. Solid unit and built to last.
System:
AudioTechnica turntable =>
Cambridge Audio (forgot the model but the current cheapest MM phono preamp) =>
Maverick Audio D1 DAC tube preout =>
Primaluna Prologue 3 =>
Primaluna Prologue 7 =>
Usher Audio CP 8571 speakers