ZYX UNIverse X-SB 0.24 sounding "too much"

Dan_ed:

Yes, I had checked my calcs with John when I purchased the 1:20 Mu SUT's and he confirmed my calculations. And he confirmed that the loading is done on the secondary. I did not ask him specific about loading configurations for the UNIverse or the XV1s.

You answered earlier that 100 ohms is about right for both cartridges, but not with SUT. So 100 ohms on active is not the same as 100 ohms on SUT? This is one thing I cannot make sense. I agree that there must be something I'm missing since everyone is loading down their SUT's down below 10 ohms ...

Many thanks for all your prompt inputs.

Sorry about not being clear in the first place. The load of 110 ohms or 125 ohms is the load that the cartridge sees. Putting the SUT on the phono will result in open load of 125 ohms. I load the SUT on the secondary with 200K to get around 110 ohms or there abouts.

I've heard many people load their SUT's under 10 ohms also, but going lower than 100 ohms, the sound starts closing up. I'll try doing right down, but I think it will sound horrible. Is there something I'm doing wrong? The Bent MU SUT's are the easiest to change loading ... how hard can it be? I don't know why my loading sits 10 times higher than others who use SUT's.

The UNIverse is used, and from what I know, has about 300 hours on it so I'm pretty sure it's burned in.

Could the "too much" that I'm hearing be the exposed weak links of my setup? The arm, the deck, the preamp, the amp, etc, etc?

OK. I am TOTALLY confused with what's going on, and what's what.

Bent MU SUT's ... the posts for loading using different resistors, is that on the primary or the secondary? I think it's the secondary.

Load of phono stage is 50 Kohms. SUT's are 1:20. Hooked up with no additional loading, the cartridge sees 125 ohms. Yeah?

This setting sounded fantastic with the XV1s, but a tad bright and accentuated highs with the UNIverse.

Adding additional 200 Kohms resitors to the posts on the SUT's, the cartridge sees 100 ohms. Yeah?

This made the UNIverse sound better, not so dynamic and bright, but a tad too dulled down. Logic would mean that I needed somewhere in between 125 and 100 ohms for the UNIverse to sound optimum.

Seeing how people have loaded their UNIverse's way down below 10 ohms, and around 6.54 ohms, I gave it a shot and put a 3.9 Kohm resistor across the posts on the SUT's. This would mean that the cartrigde sees 9.04 ohms. Yeah? This sounds really really good. With a 2.7 Kohm resistor (6.4 ohms), it was a tad too closed in for my tastes.

How is it that the UNIverse is sounding so good wayy down at 9.04 ohms and also (potentially) between 100 and 125 ohms?

And also, is 100 ohms total on SUT's + phono the same as 100 ohms on an active gain phono?

Many thanks for everyone's advice.

Hmmm .... very intereting.

Doug: Thanks for your input. Yes, the value of 6.54 was your value that you told me about through private email sometime long ago. I was having problems with an XV1s on a LP12 - if you recall back that far.

Audiofeil: Listening to my XV1s for two weeks before I switched to the UNIverse does indeed correspond to you experienced. Lack of bottom end (this was loading the SUT to achieve 100 ohms total). This was my initial reaction to what I was hearing, and the mid and highs were very open (airy) and more extended than the XV1s. However, loading it down to 9.04 ohms or there abouts is now sounding a lot better. To be honest, I've sorta forgotten what the XV1s sounds like now ;), but the fact that I'm still living with the UNIverse on the rig means it can't be that bad.

Rual: Thanks for your input.

Steve: Maybe I should try the ZYX pre-pre.

Sticking with my new discovery of loading way down low, is they XV1s supposed to be loaded down below 10 ohms also, around where the UNIverse is?

Thanks all,
David

Just tried the XV1s at loaded down to 9.04 ohms as per the UNIverse. It sounds really bad and closed in. Took off the resistors (open load of 125 ohms), and it's magic. For some random reason, the loading that I'm getting best results seems to be similar to that of active gain stages.

Hey, if I try (or get) the ZYX pre-preamp, do I need to worry about loading, or is that all sorted for me and matched to that of the UNIverse already? So I can plug that into the M7 phono stage yeah? If that's the case, would the pre-preamp suit the XV1s also?

Regards,
David

I'm going to try the ZYX pre-pre and give it a shot ... thanks for all your help. I don't think this will be the end of my loading dilema ... back soon :)

Doug, definitely. I have the oppourtunity to try one out so I can determine if that's actually what's causing grief. If I get similar results with the ZYX pre pre, then it must be arm/table/cartridge mismatch. Right?

Thanks heaps.

Thanks for your further input Doug and Syntax. I guess I'll continue to work at it ... I'm reminded of a saying that can be related to so many things in this world. "Good things take time." It was on a fine cheese commerical :)

Hope you all had a good Easter.

Regards,
David