KAB USA has a phono overload calculator along with an "ideal gain range" calculator on their website. I've used it in the past and it helped. I believe it is at the bottom of their phono stage page.
Phono stage overload margin ??
Under what circumstances a phono stage would become "overloaded".
What exactly is "overload margin".
In the December issue of Stereophile, Mike Fremer describes the Esoteric E-03 phono preamp as: "The MM gain is specced at 44db and the MC gain at 66db with ultralow noise specs of -137db/v (MM) and -140db/v (MC) with very comfortable overload margins of 180mv (MM) and 9mv (MC) presumably both at 1kHZ. The E-03 should proce compatible with all cartridges other than MC's with output below 0.25mv which is close to the output of the Ortofon A90".
For sake of discussion (although i am talking in general terms here), my system consist of ARC Ref Phono2 with gain of 45-51-68-74db. Cartridge is an A90 along with ARC Ref3 LE with 11.6db gain.
What exactly is "overload margin".
In the December issue of Stereophile, Mike Fremer describes the Esoteric E-03 phono preamp as: "The MM gain is specced at 44db and the MC gain at 66db with ultralow noise specs of -137db/v (MM) and -140db/v (MC) with very comfortable overload margins of 180mv (MM) and 9mv (MC) presumably both at 1kHZ. The E-03 should proce compatible with all cartridges other than MC's with output below 0.25mv which is close to the output of the Ortofon A90".
For sake of discussion (although i am talking in general terms here), my system consist of ARC Ref Phono2 with gain of 45-51-68-74db. Cartridge is an A90 along with ARC Ref3 LE with 11.6db gain.