Jason, do you really believe this?: "Most mc stages amplify a mc cartridge’s voltage TEN times for use with a typical phono stage!" Because most MC gain stages supply at least 60db of gain to the signal, and frequently much more than that, which counts for a lot because "db" is a logarithmic quantity. For example, 66db is equal to twice the gain seen with 60db or ~2000X increase in signal voltage. So the baseline 60db (which is what the Fosgate happens to supply) is equal to a 1000X gain in voltage. There are numerous on-line calculators you can consult, if you insist upon your particular belief system. It’s OK to be in error, but once the facts are given you, accept them. And as far as your pointing out that 0.3 X 1000 = 300, that is correct, but you left out the units: 0.3mV X 1000 = 300mV = 0.3V
Furthermore, like I said above, if MC gain stages could supply only a 10X increase in cartridge gain, the analog signal chain would not work; "3mV" that you propose to be the result of multiplying the cartridge output times 10 would not even drive an active linestage, let alone any amplifier. And I gave you the reasons why I think the Unison has only a volume control for a linestage ahead of the amplifier section.
Vinylfun, The version of the Unison Unico that I looked up (in the context of a Stereophile review) has only one tube, a 12AX7, instead of two 12AU7s. In either case, the tube input stage drives a MOSFET output stage, so far as I can tell. In your amplifier, one of the two 12AU7s may be used as a cathode follower, which adds no gain. In the review, there was no mention of an op amp. I imagine it is used for phono, if the Unico has the optional phono section, but I certainly could be wrong.
