Finally got Soundsmith Sussurro Paua with 470 Ohm load option in my hands!!!
1. Installed it yesterday on my SSM/RIM VPI 10.5i tonarm using Soundsmith EZ-Mount screws and dialed it in with Mint protractor - the point of the needle is just a bit behind the white dot on the VPI aligment jig. VTF set at 1.7 g - no tracking error on the Ultimate Analogue Test LP!
Same with anti-skating force - very little antiskating delivers no audible distortion in L/R channels on test LP
2. On Manley Stealhead tried 2 connection options -
a) MC input with 400 Ohm load and 60 dB gain
b) MM input with 47k load, 60 dB gain and dual "Y" RCA adapters at each phono input jack. I soldered about 10 pairs of low-noise audio-grade 0.5% metal film resistors across gold plated Neutrik RCA plugs (R values from 200 Ohm to 1.5 k) to insert them into the open female jack of the "Y" adapters (per Peter Ledermann's advise) to adjust the MM loading to any value I wish.
c) Headshell set in parallel with the 180 g LP surface
d) Once again verified azimuth (set with the clear plastic block with fine horizontal scale/markins). Also used Fozgometer and voltmeter - both channels are dead even
3. Finally - time to listen!!! And...what a dissapointment it was....Sound was cardboardish, very forward - right in your face, thin and non-involving at all :-(
4. It took about 10-15 hours for the cart to start to breath! I had never heard so much details from my TT! Soundstage became soo whide that the speakers literally dissapeared in the room. Positions of instruments/soloists are dead-spot now! Distinction beetwen instruments is very apparent and instruments are surrounded by the air. Strings and piano - oh my! Images are three-dimentional and very stable. Bass is soo tight and punchy that it makes me to believe that one room resonance node I used to have in my room totally dissapeared! With the yees closed I could see movements of the double bass' bow!
5. Loadings and MM vs MC inputs
a) So far MM input produces the most natural sound at 60 dB. Swithchig gain to 65dB makes the sound a bit punchier but introduces a bit more noise (not very prominent anyway). Best loads for my taste - from 800 Ohm to 1.33K (not much audible difference in this range)
b) MC input with 60 or 65 dB of gain and 400 Ohm load sounds puncher and just a bit less natural than MM one
So - I'm sticking with Manley's MM input with 1K load for now and will wait for an extra 25-25 hours for the cart to break-in.
So far Soundsmith Paua has: a very natural timbre, excellent channel separation (40 dB per specs provided) dynamics/speed to die for, neutral and a very detailed though non-fatuquing sound with just a bit of a warmth, very well defined and tight bass, excellent tracking and no hum whatsoever with 65 dB of gain.
Love it (as well as my VPI SSM with RIM drive)! i'll post an update later as cart will fully break in.
Equipment:
- VPI SSM with RIM Drive and 10.5i tonearm
- Soundsmith EZ-Mount screws and Counter Intuitive
- Soundsmith Sussurro Paua and Lyra Argo i carts
- Hovland Music Groove 2 tonearm-to-preamp cable
- Manley Steelhead phono preamp
- McIntosh MC402 power amp
- Mcintosh C2300 preamp
- Sonus Faber Cremona-M speakers
- Analysis Plus Solo Oval Crystal interconnects
- Audioquest Volcano 72V speaker cables
- PS Audio Power Plant Premier
- Shunyata Black Mamba and Black Mamba-HC power cables
