Problem with preamp volume control

My setup includes a Benchmark AHB 2 amplifier and GoldenEar Triton 1 speakers.
The line stage gain is 27 Db
The phono stage is listed as:
High gain 54 Db
Low gain 40 Db
I don’t know why there is a high and a low gain listing for the phono stage.
Is there a setting for this?
I don’t hear any distortion whatsoever.
I don’t mind the low setting.  I just would like more play in the volume control.
Right now, minuscule turns achieve large changes in volume.
i wouldn’t know how to attach an attenuator. I will call CJ and see if I can get Help

RV,

The Benchmark AHB2 has three different sensitivity (gain) settings - there is a small toggle switch on the back - see your manual pages 8/9 or download https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0321/7609/files/AHB2_Manual_-_Rev_G.pdf?6581480924542235084. 

The line stage gain is 27 Db
The phono stage is listed as:
High gain 54 Db
Low gain 40 Db

Not sure what to make of that, RV. The description of the PV11 at the CJ website, the manual for the PV11 that I found online, and Stereophile’s measurements all indicate the gains that I cited in my initial post, or very close to them (47 db phono stage gain; 18 db line stage gain).

In any event, though, if your preamp is in fact providing 40 db of gain in its phono stage and 27 db in its line stage (27 db being **very** high for a line stage, but not atypical of many CJ designs), the total of those two numbers and the total of the numbers I cited constitute very similar overall gains. But if perchance your preamp is providing 54 db of gain in its phono stage, that is something that is probably in need of correction, IMO, given that a high output cartridge is being used.

But regarding your amp, as Antinn pointed out it provides three different gain settings, namely 9.2, 17, and 23 db. If you are not doing so already I would suggest trying the 9.2 db setting, even though the website description suggests using one of the other two settings when single-ended inputs are used.

Regarding attaching an attenuator, as you can infer from the photo provided at the Rothwell site you would purchase two of them and simply insert one into each of the RCA-to-XLR adapters you are presumably using at the amp inputs, instead of plugging the interconnect cables into the adapters. You would then plug the interconnect cables into the attenuators. Very simple.

Best regards,
-- Al

I just had a long conversation with a CJ tech. He said that an attenuator is very feasible in the line stage but not in the phono stage.
He was very interested in getting me to buy a new CJ preamp.  So I don’t know if that had any influence on his advice. Basically he said get a new cartridge or a new preamp.
 

Antinn,

I had forgotten about those Benchmark settings.  Thanks, so much, for bringing that up.  It just might be the solution!