Optical Gain
The published voltage gain of the optical-cartridge input, expressed in decibels.
Gain describes how much a signal is amplified. It is distinct from output voltage, input sensitivity and the power supplied to an optical cartridge.
Optical Gain — Optical Equalizer
On a Phono Optical Equalizer, optical gain helps describe the signal level passed to the following preamplifier or amplifier. It applies to the optical input specifically, even when the same product also supports MM or MC cartridges.
Read each gain value with its selected setting and output connector. RCA and XLR outputs may have different published values, so their figures should remain separate. A higher gain setting produces more output for the same input under otherwise equivalent conditions.
Compare gain with the cartridge’s output and the following component’s input requirements. More gain is not automatically better, and a missing published gain should not be guessed from unrelated rated voltages. Cartridge compatibility remains a separate requirement that gain alone cannot establish.