2. analog
  3. 1261350841

Convert cartridge output voltage to db gain

Happy holidays everyone. I hope that you may help me with a problem. I have re-configured my system, preamp and amp gone, I'm now using a integrated amp. I still have my phono stage and cartridge. My cartridge has a 0.24mV output, my phono stage has 66 db of gain. This used to sound fine, but now I notice that the noise floor is too high for me. So I'm debating on whether to look for a higher gain phono stage, or more likely, a higher output cartridge.

So now my question, how much more output would give me how much more gain? Should I be looking at a 0.5, 1.0 or 2.0+ mV output cartridge? I think I need at least 10 db more gain, and there are not many 76db+ phono stages out there. So what do you analog experts think? Is there any table out there that can show me how to convert voltage output to gain increase? TIA.

Cheers,
John
128x128jmcgrogan2

Showing 2 responses by thom_at_galibier_design

thom_at_galibier_design's avatar
thom_at_galibier_design
723 posts
 
Hi Jmcgrogan2,

I don't have time to run through some of the likely great responses you received on this thread. Holiday activities beckon (happy holidays to all).

In case some of the above advice has you stumped, , I dleve into this issue in a thread on my forum (in the Electronics forum in the Setup and Tweaks section):

http://www.galibierdesign.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=35.

There, you'll find a real-world example showing how to use an online dB calculator that I link to. The calculator allows you to go both ways - from dB to step-up ratio as well as the reverse.

Hopefully, this isn't redundant, and if it is ... accept my apologies.

Cheers,
Thom @ Galibier
thom_at_galibier_design's avatar
thom_at_galibier_design
723 posts
 
Hi Jmcgrogan2,

Yes, I hate to post redundant information. Frequently, calculations like this need a working example, and hence the cross-link. Now that I had the opportunity to go through the thread, it looks as if we have everything covered. The posters' names led me to expect this to be the case.

As mentioned above, as well as in my forum thread, sometimes the numbers will show everything to be hunky-dory and yet the system sounds like utter drek - typically due to circuit noise somewhere in the amplification chain.

Sometimes you have a noisy gain stage you can't bypass, and other times you have barely enough gain - a situation where a step-up transformer might bail you out - with some "noise free" gain in the first stage.

The numbers (as usual) are only a starting point, but are(as usual) a useful one.

Happy holidays to all ...

Cheers,
Thom @ Galibier
More to discover