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More Amplification?? Need Help

I have a VPI HW19 Jr. TT with a Ortofon SL 20Q Cartridge (has about 500 hours on it). I'm feeding it through my Conrad Johnson PV10A (with the tube phono amp).

My problem is that I just can't get good amplification. I've heard that the CJ pre-amp is notorious for low amplification.

Any ideas on how I can get better sound out of the TT, it sounded great on my Marantz 2285B, so I'm guessing it isn't the cartridge. Would a different cartridge be a better match for my CJ?? I'd hate to spend more on a separate phono amp, I got the CJ with the phono option to avoid this issue, but it just isn't enjoyable at this level. Any Suggestion?? Please help.
whyt_rabbit
twl
3,251 posts
 
What is the output of the cartridge?
What is the gain of the phono section?
dobjim
28 posts
 
Agree with Twl! You need to know these numbers to match cartridge with preamp. No problems with a Koetsu Rosewood into a cj PV9A or Mac C29. So loud it could drive you out of the room. PV9A has only 40db gain while C29 has 62db gain. Get those numbers!
whyt_rabbit OP
20 posts
 
It doesn't look like my last post got submitted.

Well, I think I solved my own problem. I dug up a Grado Blue Cartridge and put it on the AudioQuest Arm and now the sound is MUCH MUCH better. It was the old Ortofon SL 15Q Cartridge.

The CJ PV10 by the way is 48.5 dB of Gain.
The Grado Blue is output 4 MV @ 3.54 CMV (45 degrees)

What should I be looking at to match up a good cartridge with this amp phono? Any suggestions under $300 (used or new).
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