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Not getting enough volume with my new MM cartridge

I am just getting started with vinyl and bought a new REGA P5 & Exact cartridge. I have to turn my pre-amp more than 3/4 of the way up to get reasonable listening levels! I am using both a REGA MM phono pre-amp and a NAD PP2 phono stage and have the same results. I was using an Thorens 125 MKII with a Benz Micro Silver cartridge that gave me plenty of volume with the NAD PP2. Any ideas why I have to turn my pre-amp up so high given the output of this MM cartridge? Thanks for your help!

Pre-Amp: Ayre Acoustics K-1XE
Amplifier: Mark Levinson 331
Speakers: Wilson Audio Sophia
TT: REGA P5
Cartridge: REGA EXACT 2
Phono stages: REGA MM Phono & NAD PP2
rick_hilton
mingles
796 posts
 
Rick, if the cartridge is indeed defective, you'll have to work with the vendor you bought it from. Depending on their warranty and return policy, you might not be able to switch to a different cartridge. The Exact is supposed to be very good, but I don't have any experience with it. If you want to try something different, make sure it's compliance is a good match with your tonearm. I think the P5 has an RB600 which is medium mass.

Fap, his previous vinyl set up didn't have this problem, which suggests it's something with this particular cartridge.
fap
32 posts
 
Mingles and Miner42, thanks for that. It does sound like the cartridge might be faulty. Regards, Fap.
rick_hilton OP
46 posts
 
Thanks for all the input! I will give you an update when I here back from REGA! Also, my dealer mentioned there might be a way to get additional gain from my K-1Xe on a givin input. Hopefully, I will get this sorted out.

Thanks again!
mingles
796 posts
 
For what it's worth, the P5 tonearm is an RB700.
lewm
13,113 posts
 
Rick, It sounds like your dealer is not hip to what all the others here are telling you: if you don't have enough gain from that combo, there must be something amiss. For him to tell you to use a higher gain linestage (or whatever it was) is evidence that he is missing the point. As someone else mentioned, one thing that could reduce apparent gain is if the two channels are out of phase with each other. For example, your cartridge could be internally wired out of phase. A simple experiment would be to reverse the leads for one channel (either one but NOT both) at the cartridge pins. It's worth a shot.
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