Ortofon MC A90 cartridge

Jfrech,

The camera was just a Panasonic TZ7 (ZS3 in the US) point and shoot. I have no clues about photography...I take a bunch of shots and pick ones that look ok.

The pic on my webpage is a pretty low res reduction. The unreduced crop I posted in the pictures thread elsewhere shows more detail (but less context): Ortofon A90

This is essentially the classic ten times the internal impedance and it results in the flattest frequency response and thus the most neutral presentation. I also find no diminution of transient response or transparency. I agree that the raising the impedance to a hundred ohms--let alone running it unloaded--can produce some attractive artifacts, but artifacts they remain and most emphatically not accurate. They also become fatiguing after awhile.

Dear Tobes: I heard the A90 in my system loaded at 100 Ohms and I don't try it at 47 Ohms.

I can't say if at 47 Ohms or at 100 Ohms has the flatest frequency response, like Pseydor assume, because I don't measured it and I can't calculate either with out the cartridge inductance value.

What I can to know is that passing from 100 Ohms to 47 Ohms the SPL goes down almost 1db and this difference in SPL ( IMHO ) is the one that could makes that we hear " differences " other that a change in the frequency response due that the A90 internal resistance is so low ( 4 Ohms. ).

My thought is that the quality performance does not change but only the SPL. So to evaluate ( other than make the measurements in real time. ) what we are hearing we have to even the Phono stage/line stage output/volume at 47 Ohms and 100 Ohms.
We have to think that our ears/brain are extremely sensitive to tiny/small cganhes on SPL. Many times when we are hearing a recording with two different SPL: normally we like the one that has higher SPL.
In the other side, Pseydor say: " They also become fatiguing after awhile. ", this is correct because at 100 Ohms there is almost 1 db of higher SPL but not ( IMHO ) because is a quality differences other that the higher volume that can affect our perception " after awhile ".
Around 1 db on volume difference makes that the whole system performance change too.

Perhaps a little more important subject about is the input phono stage resistor quality where we are loading that cartridge.

Anyway, if that load impedance is the one value that works in your system that's fine because that value is the one that gives to you music enjoying.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Paul, will you be reviewing the A90 at some stage? I'd like to hear your impressions given your enthusiastic review of the Windfeld.

Agree that the 47ohm loading should help prevent any tendency for a rising top octave. In my setup, I think the A90 sounds more transparent at 47ohms - more controlled/sharper transients as well. I can more easily hear how instruments are positioned. I wonder if this has something to do with the (slight) loading of the generator.

Raul, it's not just an SPL change that I'm hearing (see above) - and we are talking about a very small change in level (I think the difference would actually be closer to 0.4dB with the A90's 4ohm generator). In any case, generally there is a tendency to prefer the louder option in A-B comparisons.

I enlisted the help of my 10yo daughter to change input resistance while I listened - it's definitely more than just a level change occurring in my system. I can't duplicate the same 'sound' by adjusting level at the 100ohms setting.
However I agree this may be just a synergy interaction with my particular equipment/setup, as always YMMV.