Phono Stage Amp

I crank the volume up just past half way and there tends to be distortion. Below half way the sound is incredible. The records sound better than the corresponding CD or, of course, DAC streaming.

We're missing some important info. What is the cartridge, Cary Audio mono block main tube amp and speaker in your system?

Volume knob position means nothing! Could be the phono stage and preamp gain is too high overloaded the power amp input. You need to know the total gain of the whole system and the sensitivity of your speaker to see what cause the problem.

Sounds like.the turntable/cartridge is your issue. Cary slp-05 is good preamp and the musical fidelity is good. Getting good analog sound takes really good turntable/tonearm/cartridge. I would guess either cartridge is misaligned or cartridge problem. What is the cartridge? Who setup your table?

imhifiman: with volume halfway up on the SLP-05 using an Audia Flight CD player the volume is very high and no distortion. So, when I say volume halfway it is to my knowledge of the system which doesn't help you much. But at halfway with the TT the volume is 3/4 of the volume of the CD but with distortion. The mono blocks are the CAD805 Anniversary. 

mckinneymike: Pro-Ject evolution carbon fiber, I think, which came with the TT and a low end (I am assuming) cartridge is a Legacy. The retailer set up the unit for me. I checked alignment and the weight, and they seem fine.  

On a side note, I get fantastic results at lower volume. Strings and light cymbals or brushes on the drum sound amazing.... But I still suspect you are right. 

What speakers do you have?

Mike