MC Phono Pre Gain


I'm looking at a Denon DLS1. How much gain will I need from a phono pre-pre amp?
128x128garibaldi
It is tied to the output of the cartridge you choose to use.
Low output carts need more gain than high output cartridges
At 0.15 mV that is pretty low output, even by LOMC standards. So you would likely want a fairly high gain phono preamp. I'd be worried about a phono pre with gain below 60dB (and even low 60s may be a touch problematic in certain set-ups).

BUT, this will also depend on the gain structure of the rest of your system. Where are you generally playing on your volume control dial? If you are between 7-10 o'clock on that dial and being higher on your dial doesn't introduce unwanted noise, then you might be able to get away with a lower gain phono pre.

I will let folks with experience with the DLS1 chime in on their recs.
I second Roscoeiii's response. With an output of 0.15 mV, you'd need about 67 dB of gain from your phono pre, give or take a few dB depending on the gain of your line pre. That is a lot to ask of the phono stage, and noise does become an issue with lesser designs.