What turntable it is on? AT-LP120 possibly?AT95 standard elliptical
Last edited:
What turntable it is on? AT-LP120 possibly?AT95 standard elliptical
Instead of dancing around the problem, figure out your specs. What is the actual output of your current cartridge in MV? No guessing, look it up. What is the actual gain level of your receiver's phono preamp? Again, look it up.
Finally, are you 100% sure everything is hooked up correctly?
I was merely answering the other member...
Yes.
Thanks. Sarcasm is like a second language to me, so I'm riiiiiight there with cha.
What I'm actually asking is if there was a way to boost the pre-line signal so I don't have to turn the volume knob up all that much.
According to the KAB calculator, optimum phono preamp gain is 39db. I've found the calculator errs on the low side, you could probably go up to say 42db with no ill effect. You'd have to experiment and try it though. I would definitely not jack up the gain too much higher than that unless you want distortion.
You're welcome! Glad I didn't hurt your feelers. As you probably have gathered, in a high-fidelity context, your goal is silly. It is like not wanting to press the gas pedal down any further when driving up a hill. But you seem determined, even stubborn, in your silliness. A step-up transformer with a low windings ratio, say 2:1 or 3:1, might do what you want. Or it might overload your phono stage - hard to predict. Or, you could install a graphic equalizer, and push all the sliders up to the top...
since there's no "device" that can be placed in line between the device itself and a phono preamp to boost gain on said preamp
There is, you could build and use an active preamp like the Simple Preamp I designed and adjust the gain to suit, you won't need much, but if you are going to do that you may as well just go with an external phono stage like the DIY CNC, it's sure to sound better than the one in the Onkyo. You could also get someone with the knowledge to open up the Onkyo (and void the warranty) to increase the gain of the Onkyo's phono stage by swapping out some gain resistors, there probably surface mount so not for the faint hearted.
I'm running an AT95e with an Onkyo TX-8555; is this a mismatch maybe?
I'd rather have a hotter output lower down on the volume scale.
Get one of these cartridges with 10 mV output level. It'll set your phono input on fire!
http://www.stantondj.com/stanton-cartridges/400v3.html
Get an AT440MLb.....(fineline stylus)
Looks like a 440mlb needle will fit. Only question remains is, where does the high output come from... bigger magnets or bigger coils?