gcph phono stage gain settings

What do you have the impedance set at? It should be 47,000 ohms (that's 47K ohms). If you have it set less than this, than that is the cause of your problem.

If it is set correctly, the problem may be that you are trying to match the gain of your CD player, which is almost always of higher gain than a phono section. This is normal.

Hi,
y.s.:
>>> i'm concerned that if i ever get an mc cartridge with 1/10 the output of my current cartridge, the gcph will not be able to handle it.<<<

Your fear is completely unfounded. I used the GCPH with a 0.3mV cart. Setting in this case was 1kohm or 500ohm load and 60db RCA (=66dB with XLR which I used).

As far as the MM goes: The GCPH volume knob set at 3:00 is just fine with no sound degradation i.e. just a tad off the full volume (1:00 if FAR too low!). Close the volume all the way, put a small pencil mark at ~ 7:00 (as it does not do a full 360deg turn) then open the volume until your pencil mark is at ~ 3:00.

Setting for MM is 47k (a MUST!) and you will probably find that 60/66 dB is by far too loud! --- and so you can go down to a more appropriate 40dB RCA = 46dB XLR.

thanks for the responses. yes, i have the impedance set at 47.
someone at ps audio initially said not to turn the front gain knob past 1 o'clock, but i don't get much sound if i do.

also, i get essentially no sound until the front knob is at 12. seems like a silly design to not start getting sound until the knob is half way around.

Tanglewood:
I think in fairness to PS Audio, you also can connect the unit straight to a power amp. I have done that too, but preferred going true my Levinson 326S after all.
If you connect it straight to a power amp, it will start to make sense why it works that way. It's a good attenuator from 0 all the way up, and 1:00 will be about where it is at elevated room spl -- depending on your cart of course. Going into a pre-amp it's 3:00pm and not 1:00pm, at least in my experience... :-)
A.

thanks axel.

and i did not mean to be critical of the gcph in general--i thought that perhaps my particular unit has a defect (it is b-stock). but it seems from your response that it is working as intended.

j