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MC cartridge loading: still baffled

I am using a low output moving coil cartridge- a retipped Linn Troika.  Recommended loading is 100-200 ohms which I have always followed.  My phono pre is an Ayre P-5xe and set to the highest gain.  Years ago, Michael at Ayre said most moving coil cartridges sounded best when loaded at 47k ohm using their phono pre.  I just got around to trying this setting and it does sound more open and better to me.  Lately, I am discovering that much of the dogma that I have been following isn't necessarily correct, at least with my system and to my ears.  Another example I found recently is that my arm/cartridge performs just fine with very little anti-skate force as opposed to just picking a setting equal to VTF as universally suggested.

Back to the loading question:  is the proper loading more a function of the phono pre or the cartridge itself?
jc4659
ebm
9,311 posts
 
I am using TW ACUSTIC RPS100 which has multiple loading options.These loading options can be selected from the front of the unit.The phono is tube based 2 6dj8s and 2 12ax7s.The loading is determined by the cartridge.
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,368 posts
 
too bad Michael has retired and went to Florida....I always enjoyed talking with him.  I'm using an Ortofon with Ayre, and after experimenting (a pain with most, but Ayre has those screw in connectors for resistors) I found 10K to sound better to my ears.  I would always say to satisfy your own preferences.  ( Gary has replaced Michael....another great guy)
arsh
367 posts
 
Another person here who used to just follow cartridge manufacturer's recommendations for loading, but 47k sounds best with my Hyperion/NuVista Vinyl and Herron VTPH2A.
yeti42's avatar
yeti42
287 posts
 
Using a DV 17D2 in a Rega RB300 with the AS set to match the VTF resulted in an offset and twisted cantilever after probably a bit too much use. I then got a copy of a record called “the enjoyment of stereo” in a job lot of classical records I was given. This had a track for setting antiskate which was a blank section of the disk near the halfway point and it’s proved very useful over the years.
At one point I had an arm with weight and thread AS (Naim Aro) where the thread could only go in a small number of grooves to adjust it, it was easy to hear which one sounded best.
Now with a Schröder Reference arm and I’m back to the blank record with a bit of fine tuning by ear. The hifi news and record review test record tracks result in far too much AS.

Loading I also assess by ear but as suggested above it doesn’t seem to transfer between phonostages Ω for Ω. If you like 47k on the Ayre compare it to the next lower setting and so on, you’ll soon form a preference or, if you don’t, it doesn’t matter.
lewm
12,458 posts
 
 Reviewing this thread, what surprises me is how many other people besides myself have empirically discovered that they prefer to use a 47K load with one or another LOMC cartridge. I arrived at the conclusion that I preferred 47K quite by accident, speaking for myself. And I previously thought that I was a loner in this regard.
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