Those are all very expensive cartridges, and the fact remains that most current driven phono stages work well with cartridges that have internal R in the range 2 to even 20 ohms, though I would be leery of going that high myself.
Current sensing phono stages w/Rega?
Hey folks,
Anyone using Channel D Lino C 2.0 or the Sutherland Little Loco with a Rega RP8?
I got some great advice here on researching my first cartridge and phono stage upgrade.
Cartridge was upgraded from the Exact MM to the Ania Pro MC on my Rega RP8.
After researching the suggested phono stages, I home demoed a Musical Surroundings Nova III (with both stock walwart and optional LPS), Rega ARIA MK3 MM/MC, Black Ice Audio F159, and a Konus Audio Vinyle 1000MC Mark II.
The Konus is the only current sensing unit and the one I like the best.
Two other current sensing units I would like to try are the Channel D Lino C 2.0 and the Sutherland Little Loco but came across the following:
The Absolute Sound Channel D Lino C 2.0 review excerpt:
Briefly, any phono cable/tonearm combination where twisted-pair-conductor cables are employed and the two conductors are not connected to the turntable (or shield) ground can be used. An example of a tonearm/cable that can’t be used would be a standard Rega ’arm where the shield is connected to one of the outer shells of the RCA, which is also a signal connection.
Stereophile Sutherland Little Loco review excerpt:
Your tonearm wiring must be fully balanced between cartridge and phono preamp, with no connections between any of the tonearm leads and ground. That means that the Little Loco won't work, for example, with your Rega arm, unless it's rewired.
Has anyone rewired a Rega to work with either?
Thanks everyone!
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@boothroyd 1+ The MSL Ultra Eminent EX has the lowest of them all at something like 0.8 ohms. @lewm , judging by my own experience, a cartridge over 10 ohms would have so little gain in current mode that the signal to noise ratio would be pretty bad. The MC Diamond is pushing the limit at 6 ohms. The only phono stage you might get away with higher impedance would bet the Seta L20 which has a crazy high signal to noise ration and cost $60K. I can trade the Seta L in on it and purchased direct the balance would be $40K. It will fit in the cabinet and I am perilously close to being divorced. |
Mijostyn, you are extrapolating from “your own experience “ to a general principle. The results will vary according not only to internal R but also voltage output of the cartridge and input Z of the phono and intrinsic gain of the current driven input stage. Your report is valid for your Lino and your cartridge. I’m saying the BMC works fine with the 12-ohm ART7 that puts out only 0.12mV in terms of voltage. Thus you can discern it doesn’t make much current. Yet the +7db setting on the BMC will blow you out of the room with the linestage attenuator at 9 o’clock. |
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