Goldpoint SA4M-47 passive 'preamp' winging its way to Marco Towers...

[Barry]

I'm more concerned that Goldpoint chose to employ a series attenuator circuit topology, rather than shunt.

Regarding the setting for 'normal' listening levels, I find that if the angular range is centred around 12 o' clock (say minimum level at 7 o' clock to maximum at 5 o' clock), then I try to arrange things (output voltage from the individual sources) so that my normal listening level is at 12 o' clock.

That way you are sufficiently out of the noise floor, but have ample room to encompass the required dynamic range.

I should of course add that I assume the volume control has a logarithmic 'law'.