AR PH3-SE with Benz Micro Ruby 2

I also had the same combo and found in my system that the Audio Research just didn't have enough gain matched with my preamp. I kept the Ruby 2 and changed phono stages. I played with loading and either used 47K or 1000 with the best results.

PH3 minimal requirement is .5mV output if used with active preamp and .9mV can be used with passive.

47k is not the best setting for Ruby but first you should break-in ruby for at least 50 hours before experimenting with impedance settings.

I used RS potentiometers connected to the terminals and Ohmmeter connected there as well to measure the result resistance. I used two mono ones to carefully adjust one channel to another and than make sure that measured resistance is equal.

Than I calculated the value of the resistor by the following equation for the resistors connected in parallel:

Rm = 47k*Rv/47k+Rv

where Rm is measured resistance and Rv is the "G-point" value that needs to be calculated.

I set for Lyra Helikon the value of 127 Ohms resistor that in result creates a load of approximately 114 Ohms.

Please note that if Rv approaches to 1 or in math terms and/or symbols
Rv->1
than overall load resistance will also approach 1 another words that if Rm is relatively small to 47K (30Ohm for instance) than Rv value will approach Rm or in the math terms and/or symbols
Rv->Rm

I think Ruby H would have been a better match in terms of output. I went from Benz M2 (0.8mV) to Shelter 901 (0.5mV) and I've noticed that I would need to turn up the volume a lot higher, and the trade off is the not so quiet background hiss that you get when you turn the volume too high.

Is there a way to take the Ruby 2 back and trade for Ruby H?

FrankC