2. amps-preamps
  3. 168350-39011

Onkyo P-3000R gain adjustment?

I can't find anywhere in the documentation that says the gain is adjustable on this preamp. I've always just assumed that it's not. I've been very happy with the performance although the volume knob is always between about 9:00 and 10:30 in my small 9 x 12 listening room. Besides making the volume adjustment extremely sensitive, I've always wondered if I could adjust the gain so my listening is in roughly the 12:00 range give or take it might also improve the sound. I recently picked up a Violetric V281 headphone amp/preamp. From the factory default you can adjust both headphone out and preamp out gain by plus or minus 6 and 12 db. Having now used them it seems adjustable gain should be an industry standard. IMHO of course
milkdudd

Showing 3 responses by milkdudd

milkdudd OP
64 posts
 
Thanks for the compliment. If only it had balanced inputs and outputs (in addition to the adjustable gain) it would likely be my end game preamp. Don’t know if I’ll ever use it but I heard it also has an amazing phono preamp
milkdudd OP
64 posts
 
Extravaganza, I have heard people comment that this preamp can best preamps up to $10,000. At $9,995 for the ref 3 that's close enough. Actually I'm pretty sure there's no easily adjustable gain. I'm more thinking if you pop the top and maybe had something internal. A couple of years ago I had to take it in for warranty and the volume control was replaced. After I got it back I was lower on the dial for the same amount of volume. Maybe the difference was because the first one was defective. That's what got me thinking about adjusting the gain
milkdudd OP
64 posts
 
extravaganza, that’s a great idea and I will take a look at it, however my issue is not exactly where I am on the dial. It’s more how a little bit of rotation goes from inaudible to a max volume I am able to use. Since my 9x12 listening room is the only place I’ve ever used it, I can’t be sure what it would be like in a large room. Maybe then I would be using a lot of the range on the dial. No real way for me to know that though. We have a great repair facility locally, ABL electronics. Maybe they could tell me if there is some kind of switch or dial internally, that wouldn’t normally be adjusted by the end user. I think the answer is no but it’s worth a try
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