Why isn't my turntable as loud as my CD player?
If you've noticed that your turntable isn't as loud as your CD player at the same volume level, rest assured that that is completely normal. If you can hardly hear your turntable, be sure to confirm that you have the internal preamp turned on (Line), or in the case of RT82, RT83, RT84, and RT85, that you have it connected to an external preamp or the PHONO input on your amplifier or receiver.
Due to the way vinyl records are mastered and manufactured there are limits to how loud they can be without causing tracking issues for the stylus.
On a CD, this limitation does not exist but has led to a "Loudness War" among record labels. This has resulted in less dynamic "louder" recordings that have had compression introduced to grab listeners' attention through the high volume but may sound distorted.
It's because of this volume limit that records sound warmer and more dynamic than digital recordings. If the volume difference is too drastic, upgrading your cartridge to one with a higher output or a preamp with a higher gain level may help boost the volume, but may also introduce more distortion into the signal at high volume levels.
Due to the way vinyl records are mastered and manufactured there are limits to how loud they can be without causing tracking issues for the stylus.
On a CD, this limitation does not exist but has led to a "Loudness War" among record labels. This has resulted in less dynamic "louder" recordings that have had compression introduced to grab listeners' attention through the high volume but may sound distorted.
It's because of this volume limit that records sound warmer and more dynamic than digital recordings. If the volume difference is too drastic, upgrading your cartridge to one with a higher output or a preamp with a higher gain level may help boost the volume, but may also introduce more distortion into the signal at high volume levels.