Update on my TT causing distortion at higher volume

@ghdprentice At some point there are diminishing returns. I don't like the re-tipping of MC carts or having to send to the factory for a rebuilt one. But then how many hours do you get from one? 1000 hours? 2 albums a day a year and a half of life? 2000 hours = 3 years of life?

I like the stylus replacement of MM carts. Seems practical.

I have a hard time spending $2,000 and up on a limited life cart. And will my ears tell the difference? Yes, my ears might. I have played (piano and sax) and listened to music since grade school. can easily tell in tune and OOT. I can tell musical nuances. within reasonable balance - music has been my life.

Maybe I will graduate to a top end (in my league) cart in the near future.

@lewm You had to ask. A logical question. But yes, it was plugged into the MM inputs.

My Musical Fidelity 5.5 CD player has a moderate volume into the pre-amp; my Cary Audio DAC is a higher volume into my pre-amp (I have to turn down the volume slightly). That phono was way higher through the phono stage into the pre-amp. I had to crank the volume way down.

On a side not: My Audia Flight 2 CD from Italy is a high volume output into the pre-amp. I will look at the specs on all of those devices just for kicks and see what the outputs are. I never much cared until now.

CDPs nearly always require much more attenuation than phono, because their standard signal voltage output is nearly always at least 1V and more often 2V. And it’s the same regardless of the program material. Whereas phono voltage output is rarely as high as 1V and varies from one LP to another, depending upon how the recording was made and by whom.  And of course it also varies depending upon the cartridge driving the phono stage.

@cinqcepages The E-Glo Petite has settings to accommodate pretty much any cartridge. You forgot to include Moving Iron type cartridge. Soundsmith is pretty popular now although I only heard one model and it wasn’t in my system.
Buying two mediocre cartridges, one MM and one MC, will get you neither here nor there. It’ll be fun until it’s not. 

@audphile1 I will just have to get one.

You're probably right. Just for kicks, what is your setup? Pre, main amp, TT and preferred cartridge?

I just listened to Keith Jarrett on a 1990's recording and it sounded like I was walking through Heaven. 

And that was with the $100 cartridge.