Cartridges and phono settings

[f1eng]

I have a tip, setting the maximum cartridge output can be tricky. Set too high vs the actual cartridge output and the amps power supply is forced to work to hard. Set too low, and you can get clipping, the dreaded orange flashing dot appearing on the remote app display. Some cartridge outputs are listed as so many uV at 1 kHz / 5 m/s or similar. The point being that this is not actually a maximum figure. Trial and error is needed to fine tune this, but you can check the level by scrolling through the menus on the Devialet display, until the sound level bars appear. This display gives an indication of how close you are getting to 0 db. I'd like to claim to be the very cleaver guy who thought of this, but I got this one from Ali at Oxford Audio, he in turn got it from another customer, so there is a cleaver chap out there somewhere.

The sound level meters in the information display were added to allow users to adjust the gain of the analogue inputs, both phono and straight.
They have no other use, apart to annoy one at the number of recordings almost always up near clipping.


With 24 dB of dynamic range the ADC is pretty forgiving, but it is nice to get it about right. It is difficult since LPs vary considerably in the maximum level recorded on them (and cartridges on their ability to track high levels).
It is much, much worse to have clipping than slightly under record in a digital system BTW.