I'm using the Phono inputs on my Crown 950F, and I have a stereo phono to dual RCA cable that I use with my laptop or mp3 player. I can't turn it up very high without distortion. Tapes sound better and can go louder than digital audio through this input! Is this because it needs an unamplified signal? I keep the volume at the lowest setting on whatever input I'm using and I can only crank the knob to the third notch before it sounds like crap.

Is the AUX connection any better sounding? Is there something wrong with my box?

Which leads me to my cable question, would the appropriate cable to use the AUX input be stereo phono to dual mono phono? I have to make one.

Thanks in advance!

The aux is the input you want to use for Mp3 or cd input.
I got some adapters from Radio Shack that I leave in permanently
It is male 8th inch mono , to rca female.
I use 2 for a stereo connection.
My Crown 850 and My Rising SRC 2015 is the same way with the 8th inch connectors for the aux input.

Thanks for the quick reply! I like that solution, very elegant, because then you can use the stereo to rca cable with that, or use RCA inputs.

If you have a phono input only (like many Sharps) then you will need a phono to line attenuatorto knock that signal down considerably so it does not distort.

As you can see, they are not expensive.

I have one of these (referred to me by someone on this site a while back) and it works quite well.