i have the original doge 8 and only used the MM phono input. it was fantastic with none of the hiss. my understanding was that the MM employed the tube section while the MC phonostage was the JFET. i never used it but by all accounts it sucked. everyone using MC carts preferred step up transformers into the MM. with regard to the clarity, pacific valve's website says "The phono section removes the JFET transistor hybrid design and uses an all-tube configuration." seems like they've bypassed the JFET, which should eliminate the problems associated with it, like your hiss. maybe give joe from pacific valve a call to discuss it? he's always been pretty responsive to questions, in my experience. even stock, the doge is a great preamp for the money, especially for someone using MM and linestage only. if using MC carts with stock, the added expense of a step up transformer is a factor to consider, though, and provides a definite impetus to explore the clarity. in any event, i'll be sad to see it go. i'm selling mine and moving to an integrated to eliminate extra boxes in the living/listening room.
