Line Input clipping (red)

[chrisd]

I've connected my phono stage to the line input but the meter is flashing red to indicate clipping.

I've done a search here and tried the recommendations of increasing the sensitivity from 2Vrms to 3Vrms and then 4Vrms but it still clips.

Looking at the meter it is shows it banging up against 0dB pretty much constantly for 2/3/4 Vrms

The cart is an Audio Note IQ3 with 6.5mV output and the phono gain is 48dB so I'd expect a line voltage of around 1.7V

   

[thumb5]

Your maths is correct (I think) but bear in mind that the 6.5 mV sensitivity, and hence the 1.7 V output level, is rms at 1 kHz. I would expect peaks to be much higher than this, depending on what you're playing - presumably not a 1 kHz test tone?

Is it possible to reduce the gain in the phono stage?

[chrisd]

Your maths is correct (I think) but bear in mind that the 6.5 mV sensitivity, and hence the 1.7 V output level, is rms at 1 kHz. I would expect peaks to be much higher than this, depending on what you're playing - presumably not a 1 kHz test tone?

Is it possible to reduce the gain in the phono stage?

The p2p for that 1.7 Vrms would be 2.5V so well within the 4Vrms and shouldn't be clipping.

The gain is the lowest it will do, it only has options for 48 or 52 dB

[thumb5]

The p2p for that 1.7 Vrms would be 2.5V so well within the 4Vrms and shouldn't be clipping.

Only if you're listening to a sine wave! It can be much higher for music.