Phono preamp gain setting

Unfortunately you are in a bit of a "no man's land" situation here. Ideally, with that cartridge you'll require about 44 db of gain at the phono stage so you are a bit light and that will compromise you dynamically among other things.

Going to 54 db though is going to, IMO, give you way too much gain probably taking you into overload and resulting in even worse sound quality. You can do it; it's just that it will sound lousy, or at least a lot lousier than if you get your gain right.

If you're committed to the Moon and the Soundsmith (they are supposed to be very good phono stage and cartridge respectively), I'd consider sending the phono stage back to the manufacturer to have them change the gain to 44 db.

Hmmmmmm

A $4,500 preamp that gets noisy around halfway up. That sounds like you have an issue somewhere. Are you sure it is the preamp or is that once you get up to that level you begin to start hearing noise that is coming from the phono stage? Bad tubes in the Calypso? What kind of noise?

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The noise is Kind of a constant shhhhh of hiss sound. It is not real loud at the listening chair at the 50th out of 88 step volume level but you can hear it and it gets progressively louder as the volume level is turned up from there.

I'm going to disagree with HDM. I don't see an extra 4dB in the phono stage doing anything that can't be accomplished by turning up the preamp another 4dB, Gain is gain, it doesn't matter where it comes from.

If you are hearing that kind of noise at that level something is wrong. The prime suspect is tubes in first stages of the Calypso but it could be before that.

Put shorting plugs in the input of the Calypso and see if you still have the noise. If not it's coming from the phono stage.

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Sgunther-do you have noticable surface noise when you turn it all the way up? If not, you're good.