Received and returned the attenuators. Sorry to report that there was no improvement, if anything I lost dynamics, range and depth.
Sound Smith Phono Pre Attenuators
Just spoke with Peter Leddermann of Sound Smith. Main point of the call was to find out when it would be time to check and replace (if necessary) the stylus of my Zephyr. Hard to believe, but I've racked up s sh*t load of hours on it over the last year. Anyway, Peter said it's due for a check and probable re-tip.
The interesting part of the conversation was that Peter thought the Zephyr (2.4 mV)/ARC PH-7 (58db) combo was too hot for my Ref 5 line stage. Peter said I might be clipping the Ref 5 when playing dynamic tracks. Personally, I haven't a clue, but Peter has a golden rep in the business so I took his advice. The attenuators clip into the input jacks of the PH-7 and cool down the Zephy's output voltage. Peter advised that the overall sound quality should be be markedly improved.
I should get the attenuators in a day or two. I'll report back on whether they make a difference.
The interesting part of the conversation was that Peter thought the Zephyr (2.4 mV)/ARC PH-7 (58db) combo was too hot for my Ref 5 line stage. Peter said I might be clipping the Ref 5 when playing dynamic tracks. Personally, I haven't a clue, but Peter has a golden rep in the business so I took his advice. The attenuators clip into the input jacks of the PH-7 and cool down the Zephy's output voltage. Peter advised that the overall sound quality should be be markedly improved.
I should get the attenuators in a day or two. I'll report back on whether they make a difference.