Quote:Is "NdB = 20 log V1/V2" not right?
That is the formula I use and with my Ortofon MM I calculated 0.5 volts out of my ZP3 and with my Ortofon MC I calculate 1 volt out of the ZP3 when preceded by a ZMC1 (20X). What skews my results is that I am using a CSP3 between the ZP3 and ZMA. Without the CSP3 things are definitely good but I like the extra weight the CSP3 adds. Between my CD player and TT, the CDs play lowder given the same volume settings, which makes sense since the CD player puts out 2 volts.
One by-product of the lower voltage is that the gain on the amp will generally be turned up more, so any hum from the ZP3 will get louder.
Before I went with Decware and the ZP3 I was using a NAD phono stage that was rated at only 35 db for MM carts. I was feeding an NAD integrated amp and the question of voltage never came up. I don't know how the NAD was rated for input voltage. It is possible that it needed only 1 volt in to come up to full power.
The bottom line for me is that the ZP3 is fine for my set up with an MM cart of 5mV and and MC cart of 0.5mV.