Hello Ecka,
Definitely lower the loading down to 100 Ohms or so.
As far as the gain goes, somewhere in the 60 db range is probably about right, depending of course on what your preamp's gain is set for. Once you get your cartridge broken in, which can take up upwards of 50 hours or so, I think you'll begin to appreciate it more. (And if you don't, well, don't sweat it, and go back to the A.N. Io. Life is too short to worry about splitting hairs as to which cartridge is the best one for you. Go with your gut instinct, and your ears, (not our ears!), of course
As far as your table and arm are concerned, I am probably using the same arm (Vector M3), and it works just fine with the XV-1S. (I wish I had your table though, as I am currently making due with a Basis 2001, although I am looking to upgrade up to the 2500 at some point.)
As far as a phono stage, (I'll just answer that here, rather than your new thread), I would recommend the ASR Basis Exclusive. It is a dual phono stage, that also runs in balanced mode. It is fully adjustable, (via dip switches), as far as loading and gain are concerned. It is dead quiet, as it uses rechargable batteries, (which automaticaly recharges when not in use). If you prefer some tubes in your phono stage, the Aesthetix IO signature, is very good, or the Manley Steelhead is another fine choice, as it is a hybrid phono stage.
In case you're wondering, I use the Ayre K-1xe preamp, with the built-in phono stage. One thing that I like about it, is that I can, and do, use the balanced inputs, which allows me to run XLRs throughout my system, from the cartridge to the amps.
Good Luck with the cartridge, and let us know how it works out for you!
