Phono Stage Amp
I have a mid-level to low end turntable. (Music Hall 11.1) and a low end decent Phono Stage Music Fidelity M1. Good tonearm and good cartridge.
I listen to JAZZ so volume isn't too much of an issue, but sometimes I just want it loud. I have Cary Audio slp-05 tube pre and the Cary Audio mono block main tube amps as drivers
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.
Would upgrading my phono-stage to one with greater boost help me? Or is that half (my whole phono system) of my system as good as it could get?
Probably: the least expensive experiment, in order to narrow down your issue, would be to purchase/mount the cheapest MM cart available and see if it results in a satisfying SPL. ie: https://www.turntablelab.com/collections/best-turntable-cartridges-by-price-ttl-levels Alternately: an SUT (easier to install/more expensive, probably), but: may increase noise/hum. Personally: I'd be looking for a phono stage, capable of outputting between 1 and 2V, with greater gain than 60dB in the MC stage. |
Could the issue be an ultrasonic peak of the Mc cartridge causing clipping at higher volumes? Think about cartridge loading. MC carts typically have increasing output as frequency increases, well into the ultrasonic range. Load resistors tamp this down. If your phono stage does not have a way of adding load, you can load your cart output at the turntable output with a little bit of gerryrigging. |
