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Hi , 

 

I’m currently using the Benz Micro Gullwing SLR mounted in the Kuzma Stogi REF 313 VTA . In my other turntable I’m using a Lyra Kleos mounted on a VPI Unipivot FatBoy 12” w/ the Dual pivot modification . 
My phonostage is the audio research REF Phono 2 SE . It has 2 Phono inputs , capable of amplifying low & high gain cartridge , selectable cartridge loading and phono equalisation . All these can be done via remote control . 

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Edited by 930turbo
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On 18/12/2019 at 10:11 PM, Powerglide said:

not my finest hour, just slammed the Rohmann into the side of my platter. Held my breathe but she's farked. 

 

IMG_0538.thumb.PNG.a06cf482c89c5242c873fe40488133d1.PNG

 

 

noticed the rest getting lower and lower on Sunday and never nipped up the grub screw. First big casualty for me, Diamond is still there, both channels but started loosing the track 5 sec in. Guess she is going on Christmas holiday, I here people talk about Garrott Brothers repairs do they service Ortofon? not listed on their site, or any suggestions? 

 

Dumb A

 

 

Look towards the bottom of this thread.

This guy is very good.

https://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=11431&start=7200

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On 18/12/2019 at 10:11 PM, Powerglide said:

not my finest hour, just slammed the Rohmann into the side of my platter. Held my breathe but she's farked. 

 

IMG_0538.thumb.PNG.a06cf482c89c5242c873fe40488133d1.PNG

 

 

noticed the rest getting lower and lower on Sunday and never nipped up the grub screw. First big casualty for me, Diamond is still there, both channels but started loosing the track 5 sec in. Guess she is going on Christmas holiday, I here people talk about Garrott Brothers repairs do they service Ortofon? not listed on their site, or any suggestions? 

 

Dumb A

 

 

 

Edited by Wimbo
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  • 2 weeks later...

Pic of my mid 80's vintage Garrott P77 with Jico Stylus-1 SAS/B (boron cantilever). 

Much more difficult to set up than the stock as the cantilever is much finer and shorter and obscured by the stylus guard.

Jico recommends 1-1.5g tracking force. I'm using 1.3g at the moment.

Soundstage, focus and detail is a different league to my recollection of the stock stylus (mine had seen a lot of use).

Sounds pretty awesome!

p77_sas.jpg.5babf15fcc0e922b1f52a5fe38911e20.jpg

jp77_sas2.jpg.770d0aab7ca3d6fdb3187da8b62f26ed.jpg

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Yeah it doesn't look like the original at all, but others have used it with the P77 bodies to great effect (A&R, Garrott etc).

I'll try to find the review link on Audiogon.

Edited by Tobes
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Here is one reference, but there are many on the web:

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/jico-sas-vs-neo-sas-s-vs-neo-sas-r?sort_order=desc

 

And here is a link from an SNA thread (same author - @Halcro - as above);

https://www.stereo.net.au/forums/topic/109943-garrott-p77/?do=findComment&comment=4293174

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  • 3 weeks later...

Recently purchased a Parasound JC3 Jr (a John Curl design) phono preamp to compliment my Cary valve phono.

Not many hours on it yet, but very good sounding phono - spacious and dynamic and avoids the thin/insubstantial sound I've heard in some SS phono amps. 

jc3jr_open.jpg.48cdd78fcb081e83287ce85a59d49b38.jpg

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6 hours ago, Tubularbells said:

 

? Would want to be 100% sober when handling that cart MB otherwise it could turn to heartbreak real quick!

 

TB,  that's what damped tonearm lifts are for ?

Edited by metal beat
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Had a ruby cantilever with a micro scanner 2 fitted to my Rohmann after the incident,  quite impressed will be swapping to a "better" table after a bit more analysis 

 

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listening through an Exposure XXVI, which hasn't made the rack yet  

 

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 I use the moving coil phono stage of a VTL Ultimate Preamplifier and rec output to the mono block power amplifiers. 
The Moving coil cartridge is a Kiseki Purple Heart with Mike Lenehan tonearm cable to the moving coil phono stage in the VTL Ultimate

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48 minutes ago, Dubbase_909 said:

 

Ortofon Winfeld ti, mounted on a Gyro SEduction turntable.  Phono amp is a Sugden Masterclass PA-4 Phono Amplifier.  Cartridge is connected to an Ortofon 80SE transformer, connected to the Sugden MM input.

 

 

The specs for the Ortofon 80SE say it has a gain of 27dB - iow, it is a 1:22.5 SUT.

 

As such, it will produce an output of 4.5mV, given the specs for the Ortofon Winfield ti say it has a 0.2mV output.

 

You are using the MM input on your Sugden PA-4 phono stage - which has the standard 47K input loading; hence the Winfield ti 'sees' 93 ohms, given the 1:22.5 turns ratio (47K / (22.5^2)).

 

Even though this is an all Ortofon setup, I suggest a 93 ohm load is probably not optimal for the Winfield ti ... the optimal load could be up to 700 ohms (100x the DC coil resistance of 7 ohms.).

 

Given your Sugden PA-4 can accept a 0.15mV cartridge, why don't you try removing the 80SE from the equation and using the Winfield ti directly into the MC input which has a 470 ohms load.

 

If you find it sounds better ... as you're in Melbourne, I can easily lend you a headamp which will enable you to:

  1. use the MM input, like you were using previously
  2. but which, unlike the SUT, gives you the ability to try a whole range of loading values apart from just 470 ohms.

 

Andy

 

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1 hour ago, Dubbase_909 said:

 

To finish off, I have always been of the belief that 10 x loading is required for signal efficiency to be passed across the voltage divider network.  With the Ortofon cartridge seeing an impedance of 93 ohms, by my math you get approx 13 times.

 

 

You're correct that a minimum of 10x is required for signal efficiency across a voltage divider network.  So 93 ohms meets this minimum.

 

However loading LOMC carts is about more than just passing the signal efficiently.  :)  The loading alters what you hear; what you get by increasing the loading value is more airiness in the sound stage - but go too high and, with the carts I've heard anyway (like my Benz LP) ... the bass tends to get floppy.

 

So it's a matter of what you prefer.  As long as it's >10 ... the signal is being passed efficiently.

 

Mr Lucaschek (who runs Benz Micro) actually sells an MC phono stage which only offers 47K loading - as he says that's what it should be, for his cartridges.  I found, with my phono stages, that 47K gave a superbly airy sound stage ... but the bass on my reggae LPs was just too loose!  :(  So my preference was 3K3.

 

1 hour ago, Dubbase_909 said:

 

Andy,

Thanks for the reply.  Your math is correct, just not sure I wholly agree with the 100 x loading though.

 

 

I didn't say 100x ... I said up to 100x.

 

1 hour ago, Dubbase_909 said:

Facts aside; with the cartridge directly connected to the MC connection with 100ohm loading, noise floor could be heard with the volume dial set at about 8 O'clock.  With the transformer connected, and then connected to the MM input socket, noise floor could not be heard until way past 2 O'clock.  This is with the cartridge just sitting in free air.

 

 

I'm not sure what that proves, given the difference in signal level & sensitivity between:

  • direct connection to the MC/100 ohm input
  • and connection to the SUT ... and then to the MM input.

 

Possibly, it means that the MC gain circuit in your PA-4 is, unfortunately, noisy?  :(

 

1 hour ago, Dubbase_909 said:

 

With a discrete phono amp, whether individual transistor or IC/ Opamps, you get a distortion that increases with frequency.  Negation of input noise being largely based on the use of low Rbb' input transistors, which are as good as obsolete.

 

 

Not sure which transistors you are referring to but the head amp I mentioned - which was designed by Hugh 'Mr AKSA' Dean, but he no longer builds them - uses low-noise JFETs.  It's also powered by a 12v SLA ... so is extremely quiet.  (Someone measured the noise floor at -120dB.)

 

Regards,

Andy

 

Edited by andyr
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