Phono stage for 0.2mv cartridge?

One thing that isn't mentioned with gain specs is the noise. A preamp with 70dB might be noisier than one with less gain (although certainly one would hope its the other way 'round). Based on the descriptions here it sounds like one phono section is noisier than the other; the gain thing does not seem to be the issue.


BTW one rule of thumb to observe is this- all phono sections have noise. It really doesn't matter what you hear when you lift the cartridge from the LP; what matters is when the cartridge is in the groove, that the phono preamp noise is less than that of a silent groove. If not, it will interfere in quiet passages. When tubes get weak in a tube phono section, noise is the most likely symptom. The noise will build up as the transconductance of the tubes falls off. This is also true of semiconductors but it usually takes them a bit longer :)

At any rate I'm leaning towards the idea that there is a malfunction or incorrect setting somewhere.

  I am looking for a quality phono stage with at least 72db of gain. During this last year I obtained a Canary MC10 which sounds beautiful but I am somewhat volume limited and listen at such high volume control settings that tube rush has become an issue. At 69.5db of gain I hoped that the Canary would work out but...

@wbs

The difference here is not even 3dB! That quite simply isn't an issue when we are talking about working with a cartridge of 0.2mV. The phono section in our MP-1 preamp has only 66dB and it works fine with 0.2mV.

Something other than gain was afoot in the case above! What was the problem that caused you to seek more gain?