gain staging and attenuation

Hi everyone - Thanks for your help. This is a 'set up question' but I hope is of some general interest. I am adding a phono set up to what was a streaming only system. The streaming system fed an RME2 DAC into a Mcintosh MC462 power amp. Previously I used an ARC LS25 II pre in the chain, but I thought the direct feed and DAC volume control sounded better. When adding the phono I used an Ortofon 2M blue into a parasound JC3+ phono pre and then went into the ARC preamp. This then went directly into the power amp via a good quality switch (Goldpoint), letting me select DAC or phono. All connections are balanced. The plan was to learn alignment etc with the Ortofon blue, then later switch to a moving coil.

Here is the issue - there was a tremendous amount of gain in the phono side of the system. The volume was so loud that I had to use the ARC in its lowest gain setting and even then barely turn up the volume. I solved the problem by removing the switch and instead using a Goldpoint passive pre with volume control. Even for that I had to plug Rothwell 15 dB attenuators into the back of the passive pre.  

My quesion is where to use attenuation and where to use gain. The ARC has a bypass setting that puts everything at unity gain and removes all the volume controls and switches etc from the signal path. This sounds notably better so I use the ARC simply in that setting, as a buffer. Should I put the passive preened attenuator between the phono pre and ARC, or is it better to put the attenuator and phono pre right before the power amp (with a short cable to the power amp).  I have read all sorts of discussions about this. Is there a good reason for a certain arrangement? I guess I could see the passive pre with attenuator, followed by the pre, as a sort of thrown together preamp, with switch and attenuation followed by buffer. Thanks much for your help.