It would be unusual for the Dual 1229 to have a moving coil phono cartridge. But if it does you will need to boost the signal with a MC head amplifier. Unfortunate cause most ain't cheap. Perhaps a MC phono stage could be used. The Pro-Ject Phono Box MM/MC Phono Stage is only $120. What brand and model phono cartridge is on your Dual 1229? Did you connect the turntable to the phono input on the receiver?

No. I suspect your receiver doesn't have an on board phono section. If the inputs are only labelled for a place to plug a phono pre amplifier in, you'll have to buy a phono pre amplifier first.

It is interesting because the documentation for the Yamaha RX-V757 states the phono input is for turntables with MM cartridges which would indicate it does have an onboard phono section.

If the receiver has a built in phono section that is operating properly, there could be a few other reasons for low output. The first would be operator error. Engaging the wrong input or running through a tape loop could cause problems. I assume this is not the case. The next, most likely cause for low output would be a broken stylus assembly. Do we know for certain the cartridge is in good shape?

Quote:
stylus came with unit, not sure how old it is but turntable is in beautiful re-conditioned shape.
is the DM 95 the only cartridge compatible with 1229 ?
turntables are kind of out of my realm...

I have a Dual 1219, which is pretty close to the 1229. You pretty much need a high-compliance moving magnet cartridge on them. (Shures are the classic choice, though I've found Grados and some Pickerings work quite well) You should be able to get a quite decent cartridge for it for something in the range of $50-100. (If you're looking for budget, I'd probably go for the Grado Black or Green, about $50-60, or the Shure Mx97, which runs about $90. An Ortofon OM5, starting at about $50, should also work pretty well, but I've never actually tried one of those.) The advantage to finding an older Shure, like the one you have, is that they snap into the headshell carrier without having to muck about with screws and templates, etc. to get the cartridge aligned with the tonearm. If you want an older cartridge, the Dual manuals and recommended cartridge lists can be found on the vinylengine.com website. Pretty much everything is findable on ebay for the right price.

I'll leave the preamp problem vs. bad cartridge debate up to people who know more than I do, but I think it sounds more like a cartridge problem if you're hearing *nothing* from the amp, rather than weirdly equalized and bad sound from the amp.

Enjoy the 1229-- it's a neat piece of machinery!

Quote:
stylus came with unit, not sure how old it is but turntable is in beautiful re-conditioned shape.

Great. But that doesn't guarantee the stylus is intact. Have you inspected the stylus assembly to see whether a stylus exists? If there's no stylus, there's not much sound. Take a reasonably high powered magnifying glass or jeweler's loop to see whether the stylus is still on the cantilever. You're looking for a diamond tip and not a steel bushing that once held the stylus.

If you bought this from an individual, call them and ask if they have any idea whether the stylus is in good shape.