Cartridge Output

~ 0.5mV will do just fine.

Hi Al,
OK, you are then saying that he has really 40dB phono plus ~ 20dB line-stage fully open?

If so, then get an MM with ~ 3.5mV - 5mV and you are of to the races.

Fair comment I guess, just not the way I understood it. 60dB phono with unity gain (0dB) pre-amp and then 1/2 opened volume control is just fine with 0.5mV by me, it is where I'm coming from --- and might be wrong. If 60dB = 'ball to walls' why not say you got 40dB phono gain?
A.

Hi Al,
not my enquiry as it is.
But I use right now 40dB (60dB is jumper option) on phono-boards with 18dB line-pre input gain of my ML326S.

This works very well with 5mV MM cart (Empire S1000, Shure V15, EEI 500, P77, etc.)

Otherwise I use 60dB phono with 18dB line-pre and any 0.3mV MC cart, which also works fine.

Lastly 60dB phono and 0dB line-pre is good with 5mV MM cart too.

ML326S has >90dB SN which is rather quiet, yes.

So, maybe some other gear is asking for different cart outputs. I did use 0.6mV LOMC, 1.5mV HIMC, etc.

Maybe my gear is not the right stuff to make a recommendation, too flexible?

Axel
PS: ML settings are 0, +6, +12, +18dB line-pre input gain before it gets to the volume control adding the usual ~ 20 dB (balls to the wall) but I never go much past 1/2 of that.

Hi Nsgarch, it's NOT my enquiry, as I said on top to Al also, :-)

I know what **I** can use, but it's Jsman that asked the question.
Now before I say, go back to my first recommendations, you should have noticed I did NOT mention any HIMC...

Let's get Al to comment, as he had a point to make about SN (signal/noise) considerations. With >90dB on my rig its not an issue, so let's see what he will suggest with those figures.
(In fact, other than SN, you can use practically any cart LOMC from 0.3mV , and if you like a good MM, as Raul recommends, 3.5mV - 5mV --- it's what I mentioned in the first place).
Axel