Which Lyra Helicon?


I'm getting into vinyl in a big way, just purchased extended Aries w/JMW 12.5 tonearm.... now, I need a cartridge and phono pre-amp.

I've pretty much decided on a Lyra Helikon, but unsure about whether to get the .4mv or the super low output one (2.3mv?)

What should I do?

For now, budget says Grado Phono pre-amp.... or? suggestions?

Thanks, in advance.

John
jbatlanta
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Every low output MC is better than it's higher ' brother '.
Here it is the same.

But when you don't have a real good phono stage, I think, you will have more satisfaction with the high output Helikon.
Lyra systems are recommended with a MC 47K load, the next step for a phono section.

These systems are designed for serious users.
I don’t think the SL really requires a phono amp with 80 db gain. I am using a standard Helikon with a Krell KPE which has 64db gain and I normally listen at –10db to –6db (10 db to 6 db below unity gain) volume level on the BAT VK-50SE. That means if I bypassed the preamp it would be 6 to 10 db louder. The difference between a Helikon standard and a SL is about 6db. So a low-noise phono amp with gains in the high 60 to low 70 should be enough in most situations.
0.4mv is a more practical choice. The lower output version is called "SL" and output is rated at 0.22mv not 2.3mv. Unless your future phono preamp has AT LEAST 80db of gain (very hard to find these days new or used) then you may consider the 0.22mv version. The SL version has purer sound compared to the standard version. At $2195, the SL is worth every penny in my opinion.