Benz Micro Glider Loading

You have a "Medium" output Glider at 0.9mV and 24 ohm coils. Folks running a Glider below 200 ohms typically have the "Low" output version, at 0.3 - 0.4mV depending on series (e.g. L2 versus current SL) and 12 ohm coils. Therefore there are different loading requirements between "Low" and "Medium" (and "High") versions. (Note: the L / M / H versions may have been introduced in later series succeeding the original Glider -- the Glider goes way back!)

I have a "Medium" Wood SM, which is basically the same as a medium Glider in a wood body, and in my system it seems to like ~ 470 ohms best. But it’s still excellent at 220 or 1K. Below 200 ohms, you will start sacrificing some of its performance (due to loading losses), though it’s subtle at first. BUT if you like 1K in your system with your ears, then it would be wise to choose a phono stage which can achieve that (or thereabouts).

Some MC phono stages will lock the loading at 100 ohms. Yeah, I find that extremely annoying and limiting. It will be fine for a Glider L but a bit suboptimal for a Glider M, and very bad for a Glider H! The Benz PP-1 phono stage (sadly discontinued) is locked on the other side, at 22,000 ohms, but works great with all Benz (except the Ebony TR) and in that case it’s easy to bring the loading down to whatever you like with a DB Systems loading kit (which I’ve done). However if a phono stage only offer 100 ohms, unfortunately you cannot bring it up from that without internally modifying the unit or getting a different phono stage.

@mulveling, 

I think I'll play with the loading again and reevaluate.  The MoFi has plenty of settings and maybe I'll find out that 1k isn't the optimum setting anymore for my ears. 

Thanks for the response. 

What Mulveling wrote is relevant information, but if you know that you prefer a 1K load with your particular version of the Glider, that is the dominant information.  If you plan to keep your Glider for the foreseeable future, then it is almost certainly possible to modify any phono stage so as to present a 1K load to your cartridge.  At worst, this amounts to opening the chassis, removing whatever load resistor, and replacing that resistor with a 1K value.  No big deal.  Any good tech can do this for you. Try either an Audio Note tantalum resistor, Caddock TF020 (avaiable from Michael Percy Audio), or Texas Instruments TX2575.  I happen to like the last one best, but you will like any of these brands in 1K value.  No need to convince yourself that you now prefer some other loading option, just because you cannot find a phono stage that offers an option of 1K ohms.

@lewm,

Thanks for your response. I now dropped the MoFi phono pre down to 900 ohms. I know not much of a difference but it’s a start. Next down (or is it referred to as up?) is 500 ohms.

It would be nice to go with a phono pre with as many options as possible though.

Makes me wonder why a lot of them don’t have at least 7 or 8 options for loading.