Merry Christmas everyone!
While experimenting with a new step-up transformer - I tried running an Ortofon MC25 FL into the phono stage (Valab LCR) with gain set to 0db and impedence 47K.
This goes into a stepped ladder type attenuator (I don't use a pre-amp - just an attenuator) and then into a valve power amp. The sound is better than when I was using various step-up transformers and I've got plenty of gain.
My speakers are Horning Agathon Ultimate, so fairly sensitive and the amp is push-pull EL34.
The questions is - is it expected that a relatively low output MC cartridge wouldn't need any amplification prior to getting to a power amp?