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I have a vintage JVC amp in the following configuration: 

  • Audio Technica AT-LP3 turntable
  • JVC AX-1 amplifier
  • Marantz CD-63 cd player 
  • Wharfedale Diamond 220 speakers

This set up is in one room, along with a Sonos Port. 

A Sonos Era:100 is located in another room, at the other end of the house.

I don’t have a manual for the amplifier, but do have a vague recollection concerning a difference between Tape-1 and Tape-2 (an image shows the amp’s connections) -- I have read some posts here and elsewhere that recommend using the tape out/record sockets to connect a vintage amplier to a Sonos Port.

So far, I have had mixed results integrating the Port and the Era with this set-up.

When the Era in the kitchen is playing Radio 4 via the BBC Sounds app, I can send the signal to the Port and the signal plays in both rooms.

However, sending audio the other way is proving to be a bit trickier.

After much fiddling/tapping on the app and experimenting with RCA connections between ampliflier and Port, I have sent audio from the turntable to the Era via Line- in, but changing source at the amplifier doesn’t send CD output to the Era. 

Having experimented by changing the RCA connections between the amp and the Port a few times, I found I could only send CD to the Era by plugging the cd player directly into the Port.

Now, however, attempting to revert to an earlier configuration to send turntable output to the Port, I find the turntable signal no longer plays through the Era. 

Can anybody with experience of setting up a vintage amp offer any advice?

JVC AX-1

? 

JVC AX-1: connections

 

I tried to locate a manual but could only find a service guide for the electronics.

There’s nothing labelled ‘monitor’ on the front panel but it could be that the Tape 1 & 2 buttons are it. What happens if you:

  • wire the Tape 1 ‘rec’ RCAs to the Port Line-Ins
  • wire the Port Line-Outs to the Tape 1 ‘play’ RCAs
  • tell the Port to play its own Line-In, with the Era100 grouped
  • select the Phono input and play your turntable through it
  • push the Tape 1 button in

Thanks, ratty, that's done the job and the turntable now plays to the Era again (the tape selector button does nothing, btw: output to the Era is the same, whether Tape 1 is selected or not). 

However, I'm back where I was regarding CD output: if I change source to CD (aux) on the amplifier, the CD output doesn't play on the Era. 

I have an audio source selector that is a 3-way phono switch. I am wondering if I put this in the mix, might I be able to get the Era to toggle between turntable and CD, and what would be the best way to connect it?

​​​​Alternatively, might there be another way to send the CD output from the amplifier to the Era? 

 

Port out to 

So as I understand it you currently have:

  • turntable → amplifier Phono
  • CD player → amplifier Aux
  • amplifier Tape 1 Rec → Port
  • Port → amplifier Tape 1 Play

If that’s the case I’m amazed that you can’t simply select another of the amp’s inputs -- the CD/aux -- and have the CD output to the Tape 1 Rec. That’s just a basic function of any amplifier. Are you absolutely sure this is impossible?

 

As an alternative you could indeed use an external selector switch, but in that case the topology would be:

  • turntable, set to LINE output → switch
  • CD player → switch
  • switch → Port Line-In
  • Port Line-Out → amplifier

You’d best configure Line-In Autoplay on the Port so it plays to its own outputs by default. That way you’d always start off with a signal being feed through to the amplifier.

Thanks for the further suggestion. 

I was puzzled why the deck would play from Port to Era, but the cd wouldn't. 

I was also puzzled about introducing the RCA switch, and intended to work through your suggestions this weekend, but I find your original suggestion works as you said, and I haven't tried to use the switch. 

(I've no idea why it didn't just work last weekend!)

Interestingly, I have found that playing a record through the amplifier's phono input, I can not only send the deck output to the Era, but I can use the Tape 1 switch as a toggle to play the Sonos stream through the amplifier (I can hear a slight difference in quality between the direct phono input and the Sonos output via Tape 1, but I don't have the vocabulary or sufficient technical understanding to be able to say any more than that). 

The CD, connected to the amplifier's auxillary input, also plays as expected (again, the slight difference is there, but it's not quite the same difference that I can hear with vinyl).

Other streamable content -- BBC Sounds, Spotify, music library -- played to the Port requires the Tape 1 switch to be engaged for the Port output to play through the amplifier. 

Thanks again for your kind assistance. 

 

This all makes sense. Any fractional difference in sound quality when listening to an external source and Tape 1 is IN vs OUT could be explained by the fact that the former has the signal looping out to the Port and back again to the amp. 

didiedug,

In many respects the PORT is similar to a 3-head cassette deck, but there are some differences that you must learn to live with.

  • Most important, Line-Out and Line-In are simply resources on the network. PORT’s Line-Out does not automatically play the Line-In signal. You could play Line-In in a bunch of other Rooms, while Internet Radio is playing through Line-Out.
  • Unless you have fixed PORT’s output, there will be a war between the receiver’s Volume control and PORT’s Volume control.
  • There is a 75ms time delay between Line-In and Line-Out. If you are listening to a SONOS speaker and PORT’s Line-Out through speakers connected to the amplifier’s output, this can be annoying.
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