How much fine tuning required on cartridge loading

Having a loading control is like having a tone control. Or more like a treble knob. Basically the variable resistive loading on an MC sets the bandwidth and damping (interactive).

Having adjustable loading is a really cool feature. You can tune the high frequencies to your taste. Or use it to compensate for other system flaws.

Once you get it, though, there is no need to keep playing with it. Sort of a one-time set it and forget it. Everytime you get a new cart, you re-tune. And then maybe again after break-in.

Having a knob is nice. But seriously, even if you have to solder in the resistors, you still get the job done.

jh

If you're using stepup transformers, input impedance becomes very critical for MC's. Active gain stages make it useful (as Hagtech described) but not quite as critical.

Still, I would never be without some way of adjusting impedance for MC use. Every MC is designed to operate into a certain load. It will not provide even frequency response if it sees a very different load.

There are ways to alter impedance if the phono pre doesn't include an adjustment. IMO the ideal setup is internal resistor sockets. That way you can fine tune before soldering in, but other methods are also effective.

Capacitance is not a critical adjustment for MC's, especially LOMC's. It can matter for many MM's. Unless you're planning on using many MM cartridges, capacitance adjustment is not a feature that should affect your phono stage choice.

I've been playing with cartridge loading recently. I use a Sutherland Phd phono stage. I decided to experiment with the effect replacing the stock resistors might have. I'm now listening to my first attempt at this using Vishay resistors.

There is a surprising difference in the sound but I'm waiting until I've put a few more hours on these resistors to see if the sound changes as they settle in.

I use a Rhea and the remote loading feature has proven extremely useful. Also, because the Rhea can accept multiple (3 max) inputs, note that it offers a measure of "future proofing". If your table allows multiple arm/cartridges Or if you add a table in the future, the Rhea will accomodate the change. OTOH, the unit has a specific characteristic sound vis a vis other phono sections I've had/heard and you'd have to be the final judge.

Good Luck,

Marty

From the description, it is quite possibly a Monster Cable Alpha 2 HO from the mid 1980's or so.
These were designed and built by ZYX.

DO you have a picture of the cartridge?