plink-plonk
The SP-6C phono amp does pretty well but i have to say that the signal output is markedly lower than any of the SP-6C's aux outputs. It requires an increase in gain from the SP-6C of about 10% or so.That really doesn't matter, unless your cartridge output is so low that you have noise when you increase the gain. The position of the volume control is irrelevant and, oftentimes, volume controls sound best when they are towards the upper end of their range.
The question is, would I get better results using a Schiit Mani -> SP-6C aux input? The Mani gets a lot of praise online. Could it in fact outperform the SP-6C's phono section?Not likely. But you could try it for yourself to be sure.