Koetsu Cartridge Question


Greetings All!
I have been considering the purchase of a Koetsu cartridge, either new or used. From the research I have been able to conduct, it seems that these carts like to be loaded at 100 Ohms. Warnings abound about phono stages and availiable gain due to the low mV output of these cartridges. (Platinum editions output 0.25mV) I am currently envolved with a Benz Micro Glider at 0.8 mV output. My Conrad Johnson EF-1 phono stage is only capable of the following load impedances: 200, 500, 1.9K, 9.6K, and 47K. Availiable 'gain' in the C-J unit are 40, 46 and 52 dB respective. My table is a Michell Gyro SE, equiped with an SME V arm. The EF-1 runs into a C-J Premier 17LS pre, then bi-amped into a C-J Primier 11 and C-J MF 2250 amps. Can I make a Koetsu cartridge work with this set up? I do not want to replace the EF-1 phono. Thanks for any/all advice!
Regards,
quincy

Showing 2 responses by jmcgrogan2

I'll second Kurt_tank's advice on not getting the Platinum Edition. 52 db of gain is not enough to drive a .25mV cartridge, IMO. I have a BAT VK-P5 with 56 db of gain and the Koetsu Rosewood Signature (.6mV ouput). I also have a Lyra Helikon which has a .5 mV output. While I can play the system as loud as I want, I don't believe I can go for a much lower output cartridge. My BAT VK-31SE preamp has a volume control that goes up from 0-140(random numbers, not db's). I generally play cd's at around 75-85, and LP's between 100-110. So I do have a little more gain in the preamp, but not enough to drive a .25mV cartridge. My BAT phono pre has resistance loadings from 100 to 47K, I'm using 100.

I would either look at one of the Koetsu's with a .6mV output, or get another phono stage if you want the .25mV Platinum.

Cheers,
John

PS: Phenomenal cartridge!
Quincy, FWIW, I bought my Koetsu off Ebay from 2juki, and couldn't be happier. I've seen used ones selling for more. I also do not have a lot of faith in buying a used cartridge. Many folks are honest, however, there are also many that vastly underestimate the hours on a cartridge. The general rule of thumb is to at least double the claimed amount of hours, IMO. You also don't know how the cartridge was setup previously. Was it tracked properly? Was it run within it's proper tracking force guidelines? Buy a new one and you don't have to worry about how long or hard it was used. When you can get a new one at a used price from a reputable (although foreign) source, I chose this route and I'm very happy I did.

A 0.6 mV ouput should be adequate with 52 db of gain and speakers with a 92db sensitivity rating. I'm using a 0.6 mV cartridge with 56 db of gain in the phono through 90 db efficiency rated speakers, and I do not find myself wanting for more volume. I did try a cartridge with a .28mV output once (a special low output version of a Cardas Heart) and felt I didn't have enough gain. I could listen at moderate levels with the volume knob all the way up, but there was no extra umph if I wanted it.

Regards,
John