Input Sensitivity (MM)
The voltage at the moving-magnet input needed to produce the phono stage’s stated reference output.
Sensitivity describes an input-to-output relationship, usually at 1 kHz. The reference output and selected gain setting are essential parts of the figure.
Input Sensitivity (MM) — Phono Preamp
For a Phono Preamp, MM input sensitivity helps explain how much a cartridge signal is amplified. At the same reference output and under comparable conditions, a lower sensitivity voltage indicates more gain. It does not independently indicate better sound.
The value is normally expressed in millivolts. If the stage offers different gain settings, compare the sensitivity associated with the setting you intend to use. A built-in phono stage’s figure must describe its phono input rather than another input on the host amplifier.
Read sensitivity alongside the cartridge’s output and the stage’s loading and overload specifications. A recommended cartridge-output range is not an input-sensitivity measurement, and sensitivity is not the maximum signal the stage can accept without overload.