Cartridge incompatibility, Soundsmith and Luxman

@lewm Greatly appreciate your knowledge and input!!! In theory, it should work, but it's clearly rolled off (quite a bit...). The only logical answer I can see is the mismatch in loading. Gain should indeed be no issue. And I do really love the Zephyr Star, so I want to make it work if at all possible.

It seems like the options are either modify the Luxman or get an SUT... since I can only imagine is going to be pretty close to a wash cost-wise, I might just as well accept that I will need to go down the route of an SUT..

So with that said, any recommendations for a SUT? Don't want to break the bank (let's try to keep it less than $1k used), but sound is much more important than cost, so if that's the path...

Also, no experience with SUT's, I assume I should use phono cables out of it into the MM, but not just "regular" interconnects. Is this assuming correct?

@atmasphere Greatly appreciate it! So at least I'm not going mad (although my wife would disagree with that statement...).

It seems that every other solution but to replace the cartridge has quite a bit of drawback... going to an SUT adds complexity and additional cost; modifying the Luxman limits my ability to use something different in the future; standalone phono preamp adds more cost, more cables, more complexity.

Easiest solution seems to be a different cartridge.

@intactaudio ​​​​@lewm Thanks guys. The information is indeed very limited... all the website gives is this:

PHONO (MM): 2.5mV/47kΩ
PHONO (MC): 0.3mV/100Ω

Basically no information expect that the loading for the MC is very low, which explains why the Soundsmith Zephyr Star MIMC is not very happy. The sound is really wide and you can clearly place each performer in their space, but there's no highs at all.

I'm not much of an DIY guy and the prospect of opening up the L-590AXII to replace a resistor is not something I feel comfortable with. I sold all the separates to simplify things and having to modifying a new amp isn't very appealing. I think changing the cartridge is the easiest and best solution.

@atmasphere Yes, MC setting. The load is not variable however, I think this is what's causing the issue.

@russ69 Which then means yet another piece of equipment, another set of phono cables (Cardas Clear Beyond sounds amazing, but they're not inexpensive...). Completely defeats the purpose of going with an integrated to simplify things...

First, I'm not going to open up the amp and modify it. By the time I do that, I might just as well spend the money to get a different cartridge. Yes, I do like the Zephyr, but there are other good ones out there.

Larry, yes, I do love the sound of the 590axii. It's ONLY the phono that sounds extremely dark. Switching to a different cartridge (I have a spare MM cartridge) opens up the highs to be just like my streamer (or CD for that matter). It's a compatibility issue between the fixed load and the cartridge.

@billwojo where do you get $1000 from?! By the time I sell the cartridge I have and get a different one, it’s pretty much a wash.