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Cartridge loading

Presently I am using a ZU/Denon DL103 mc cartridge with ZU Audio's highest tolerances.  I had this cartridge mounted on my VPI Prime and after going through all the various loading combinations, I settled on 200 ohms.  I was always satisfied with my choice of setting.  I no longer have the Prime and now use the Technics SL1200G turntable.  After having the same cartridge mounted and aligned by the dealer, I inserted it into my system and enjoyed the sound immensely, never touching the 200 ohm setting.

Yesterday I was listening to vinyl most of the day and for some reason I found the sound to be better than ever, mostly in the treble area.  The highs had shimmer when needed and I had played the same records many times before on the Prime and they never sounded as good as they did yesterday.  Just for the heck of it, I checked the cartridge loading and found it was now set at 1000 ohms.  As I said, when I put the Technics into the system, I never bothered changing the loading which was at 200 ohms as it was the same cartridge, just a different turntable.

I believe I know what happened, when I last used the tone controls on my McIntosh preamp, (you have to shuffle through a menu) I must have inadvertently put the cartridge loading at 1000 ohms.  It truly sounds fantastic, better than I ever thought possible.  The Bass is still very deep and taut, midrange is the same but the treble, oh my, so much better.  Now the million dollar question is why should it now sound better at 1000 ohms, when it sounded great before at 200 ohms?  Can the tonearm on the Technics have an effect on cartridge loading?  I always thought it was all dependent on the preamp, amp and speakers.  What am I missing here?  I am very curious to know.  The specs for my cartridge say greater than 50 ohms for loading.

Thanks
128x128stereo5
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,594 posts
 
res ipsa loquitur
mulveling's avatar
mulveling
1,774 posts
 
Raul accusing Ralph of "blah blah blah"'ing is the most ironic moment of 2020 so far ;)
Ag insider logo xs@2x
rauliruegas
12,814 posts
 
@mulveling  : That's your contribution to the thread?, what a shame too.


R.
lewm
12,486 posts
 
Raul, You could make a useful contribution to the thread by describing why you (apparently) think Ralph is incorrect in his statement that low resistive loads on an MC cartridge can impede its ability to trace HF. 


And by the way, in the American/British idiom, calling someone a "lier" (by which I think you mean L-I-A-R, i.e., a person who lies), can correctly be categorized as an insult.  Insults are the basis for a verbal "attack".  Thus it can be said you attacked Ralph.  You can't have it both ways.  If Ralph is incorrect in his thesis, that does not constitute a "lie" in any sense. He is stating what he believes to be true, right or wrong.
intactaudio
293 posts
 
I think much of the issue here is confusing / lumping together the electrical and mechanical aspects of loading.   Tracing high frequencies is a mechanical thing and while electrical loading will have an effect on this mechanical aspect, assuming that if follows the electrical model is flawed.  Parallels can be drawn between the underdamped, critically damped and overdamped in both the mechanical and electrical realm but the net results are quite different.  In the electrical realm you get variations in output level and in the mechanical realm you get mistracking which creates new information that is not on the original.  Ultimately the choice of what load is best is a subjective one based on the best choice of compromise between often conflicting objective details.   
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