Looking for help with a Benz SL low output cartridge

I would love a 20/20 or something along those lines.   I put off big purchases for a while.   My daughter got married last year so that t put the brakes on spending for a while.   I will eventually do that so for me the SUT will at some point in time go to my second system.   

The KC is pretty good and to better it will cost a little under $3k for the 20/20 with the LPS.   

Definitely demo in your systemif you upgrade the KC Vibe.  I am not doing anything until I can demo a few in home.   

"Looking for help"

Is there a problem?

If so, what?

If it sounds good, has enough gain for decent volume, are you just asking for us to comment on what you have read or heard?

OP

this is my SUT, the one lewm referred to:

PASS is so you can run a MM cartridge (or HOMC) thru it bypassing the internal transformers, so there is no need to plug/unplug any cables.

Finally I realized the designations 3; 10; 30; 100 are as he said, for you to select based on your coil’s internal impedance:

i.e. for my AT33PTG/II with a 10 ohm coil, I use the 10 ohm setting. Inside, that rotary switch selects one of the 4 various windings of the transformer, which corresponds to a signal boost,( which I call x factor) of 20.68. (equal to +26 db) My signal is 0.3mv x 20.68 = 6.2 mV (now a strong enough signal to go to a MM Phono Input which will perform RIAA Equalization, and further signal boost, up to Line Level.

My unit, the impedance load that will be shown to the MM Phono Input is RESULTANT, and for that 10 ohm/20.86x signal boost is 110 ohms. That is ideal for my cartridge as it’s coil impedance is 10 ohms. 

Your unit, the load and the gain are SEPARATELY controlled

Gain settings: 40, 45, 50, 55 or 60 dB
Loading: 100, 200, 475, 1k or 47kOhms

and the RIAA EQ also occurs within your unit, the total gain is adjustable

Using a SUT into a MM Phono Input (where RIAA EQ occurs), the total gain is:

SUT gain PLUS MM Phono Gain

I do not know how much gain in db my MM Phono stage adds (to my SUT’s +26db gain). My Preamp’s Output Level is 2.5V (unless attenuated, by the volume control).

I’ve had a lot of carts and Benz SL (or older L2) are about as easy-peasy as LOMC come. 0.4mV is conveniently high (for a LOMC), and 12 ohm coils are a *little* on the high side for 0.4mV, but still quite reasonable and easygoing. 

You can pair it perfectly with a SUT 10x - 20x and normal MM stage (38 - 46dB). OR you can pair it with any fully active MC stage 60dB - 72dB. Or pair a JFET head-amp or transimpedance step-up again to an MM stage. All of them can sound great with this cartridge (I’ve tried), and it’s really a matter of preference and taste. Also the MM stage can be tubes or SS and sound great either way. 

It’s rather hard to mess up here, given a few simple guidelines / parameters. Now IF later you upgraded to a Benz Ruby / Gullwing / LP, THEN you’re in for a more difficult matching exercise: 0.34 mV with 38 ohm coils makes those carts a tough match for SUTs and transimpedance devices (I was never happy with any SUT match to my LPS). It's the non-magnetic ruby former (instead of iron) of those models that causes this. 

Anyways don’t overcomplicate this (analysis paralysis) and enjoy - I really like that cart model and have kept a couple in my collection. Glider is very similar and also very very good but strips out a touch of the wood’s body / warmth.