AudiogoN Forums: Helikon LOADING

Helikon LOADING

Hi, I am really confused as to what is the right loading for this cartridge. The info that came with cartridge recommends 100 ohms to 47 K ohms. The inernal resistance is 5.5 ohms. This is quite a big range to decipher the 'correct' loading or 'equalization'(my analogy)and also tough to find the right phono that matches with unknown loading. I am auditioning few phonos at present and want to slect the right combination.

Also I want to have phono that is future proof, that is if I explore in multiple different cartridges, the phono amp is/will be compatible with these Carts. I read form past threads that general guideline is 25 times its internal impedance. How hard and fast this rule is?

So what is YOUR HELIKON LOADING? and how did you decide this value?

thx,

Nil

Nilthepill (Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

04-03-06

Responses (1-42 of 42)

Click title to read one, or click date to read all below it.

04-03-06 I seem to remember hearing that 530-580 ohms is recommended ... Ebarker2

04-03-06 I am using a load of 100 ohms with excellent results. the to ... Gmorris

04-03-06 I use 1k for both my benz ruby and my helikon mono. seems t ... Norfish

04-03-06 I am using an audio rearch ph-3 with my helikon cartridge, a ... Jerry

04-03-06 I'm at 1k on my bat vkp10se superpak. sounds gorgeous to me ... Jfrech

04-03-06 A good rule of thumb would be your output impedance (5.5) mu ... Zenieth

04-03-06: Nsgarch
Nil, the 25X rule (that I have been endlessly promoting and which you'll find discussed in depth on other threads) is, I keep reminding people, a theoretical optimum, based on the more or less universal objective of good impedance matching.

However, based on the other elements of a given system, I always urge people to explore loading by ear using a range +/_ 50%. In your case this would be from roughly 70 - 200 ohms.

Everything else about your cartridge setup should be right beforehand (VTF, SRA, AS, overhang, azimuth, etc). Start at or near the optimum (125 -150) If you listen and it's bass-shy, reduce the load. If the bass is muddy or bloated, increase the load until the bass tightens up. If the load gets too high, you'll start to lose the bass, so back it off a little.
Nsgarch (System | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

04-03-06 Now...all of this is dependent on everything else! makes it ... Jfrech

04-03-06 47k was too bright and 470 ohms a little too flat. i settled ... Perose

04-03-06 Nsgarch - why do you care about impedance matching? Jeff_jones

04-03-06 Thanks for lot of inputs and data points for me to work on. ... Nilthepill

04-03-06 Hi jeff, re: impedance matching of cartridges: a device whi ... Nsgarch

04-04-06 Nsgarch - thanks. if i understand your approach,the 25x rule ... Jeff_jones

04-04-06 Jeff: well, yes, you are endeavoring to impedance-match the ... Nsgarch

04-04-06 Years ago, all lyra's were made for 47k, but only a few phon ... Thomasheisig

04-04-06 Nsgarch - good stuff, thanks! i started out out of phase wit ... Jeff_jones

04-04-06 Nsgarch- i thank you for the guidelines you have provided, t ... Nilthepill

04-04-06 Nil, the 25x rule emerged from experience and experiment and ... Nsgarch

04-05-06 Dear friends: the cartridge load impedadce is a subject of v ... Rauliruegas

04-05-06 Raul is correct, though i think i already covered all those ... Nsgarch

04-06-06 Dear neil: thx for your approval about my post. btw, " ... Rauliruegas

04-06-06 Raul, i did not realize your new phono pre was a "curre ... Nsgarch

04-06-06 Raul: i think your point that the load recommend by the ma ... Gmorris

04-06-06 I think, most of us are on the right track, raul with his op ... Thomasheisig

04-08-06 Dear gmorris: this is only to clarify: when i speak about ma ... Rauliruegas

04-08-06 I have never owned a cartridge that i did not experiment wit ... sirspeedy70680@

04-08-06 Raul: z = r + ix i refer to the non resistive part as reac ... Gmorris

04-09-06 Gmorris - isn't it z*z=r*r + ix*ix? other thing, ... Jeff_jones

04-09-06 Dear sirspeedy: before you can play the judge role we have t ... Rauliruegas

04-09-06 I have a helikon also and an aesthetix rhea phone stage. i ... Rwd

04-09-06 Jeff jones: the complex impedance is given by: z = r +ix. ... Gmorris

04-09-06 Gmorris - thought you were using ix for inductive reactance, ... Jeff_jones

04-10-06 Jeff, there are three kinds of mechanical damping i can thin ... Nsgarch

04-10-06 Nsgarch - just pondering magnetic damping from the cart work ... Jeff_jones

04-10-06 Dear jeff: you are right: the mechanical damping affect the ... Rauliruegas

04-10-06 Dear gmorris: +++++ " the optimal loading value is ind ... Rauliruegas

04-10-06 Jeff, re: mechanical damping affecting total load impedance, ... Nsgarch

04-10-06 Nsgarch - right. all - thanks! Jeff_jones

05-12-06 After reading this thread i went home to experiment with the ... Willster

05-12-06 Loading affects the frequency balance -- less loading (highe ... Larryi

05-12-06 Larryi, negative sra will compensate for the hf tilt at high ... Nsgarch

05-12-06 My vta adjustment is quite subtle. the arm, at the pivot, i ... Larryi