Well, I'm glad to hear the CD-400 isn't a consolation prize as I already bought it
I am still waiting to get my 4270 back and don't have a suitable cart yet (mostly because I'm anticipating the bill for the 4270), but I have tested it as an outboard phono pre and it's working at least in that respect, so I've got that going for me...
Follow up:
After a new MPX board and at least some sort of adjustment/alignment... I have a working 4270!
Action items:
1) scrub the knobs and fix a few where the metal is coming loose from the plastic
2) replace the little Phillips screws that hold the face on - those are the most glaring cosmetic flaw
3) hope that some rich friend or relative realizes I need a wood case
4) buy an AT cartridge
5) screw it, I'm selling a kidney so I can get both a wood case and a SQA-2B
and FINALLY... and the reason I'm posting...
how do I correctly hook up the turntable -> CD-400 -> 4270?
Most of it is pretty obvious. Assuming that CD-400 should be as close as possible to turntable, pretty obvious where TT RCAs land, hook CD-4 front and rear outputs of CD-400 to CD-4/Aux jacks on 4270, hook aux cord (CD player) to aux input on CD-400. Correct?
THEN I am assuming that *if* I want to use 4270 phono stage for 2-channel instead of CD-400 I connect another patch from 2CH DIRECT OUT on CD-400 to PHONO on 4270 and throw the switch on the back of CD-400. Correct? (is 2CH DIRECT OUT after going through phono stage in CD-400 or just a pass through? Am assuming the latter otherwise why call it "direct"?)
NOW the question. Where do I land the ground from the TT? It seemed to work fine landed on only the CD-400 when I tested but if I use the 2CH DIRECT OUT should I then daisy chain it to the ground terminal on the 4270? Or is there no real meaningful differences in the two phono stages? Seems like for "transparent" and "non gear weenie friendly" operation I should just rely on the phono stage in the CD-400 and forget about 2CH DIRECT OUT.