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Phono amps or stages for high-output cartridges?

It's understandable that the best phono-amps (and phono stages in full pre-amps) these days are very high gain, as what are generally considered the best cartridges are very low-output designs. But for those of us whose preferred cartridge produces very high output (5mV!), what are some very good phono-amps or pre-amps with great low-gain (40dB, tops) phono stages? I ask because a lot of even very good high-gain phono-amps run into trouble (overload margins) with a high-output cartridge. Phono-amps are being designed and optimized for low-output models right now. Are there any currently, or in the recent past, being produced which are specifically for high-output models? Sure, one can get an old pre-amp from the pre-low-output moving-coil era, but they come with their own problems, usually worse than overload characteristics.
128x128bdp24
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,807 posts
 
All of our preamps work fine with high output cartridges.

Our UV-1 preamp can be ordered with a phono section for high output cartridges or low output (in which case a stepup transformer is added).

I think there is a lot of life left in high output cartridges- I find that they really don't sound different from low output cartridges if the tone arm can track them correctly and if they are loaded correctly.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24 OP
9,795 posts
 
Halcro's suggestions reminded me---I should have included price considerations. The Ypsilon is worth more than my entire modest system! But thanks guys, I'm now inspired to dig into this deeper myself. Phono amp design is one where the measurements really do tell you a lot about the resulting sound of that design. Atkinson's measurements of a lot of the current phono amps I was referring to in my question reveal that they are not appropriate for any but low-output cartridges, having severe overload and distortion characteristics at high and (especially) low frequencies when fed a 5mV signal. And that includes some otherwise very fine, and expensive, phono amps that are great for low-output cartridges.
jperry
2,448 posts
 
Use the low gain setting on an Aesthethix Rhea.
czarivey
5,946 posts
 
lowest output with highest gain + SUT... it's all bs.
sufficient output + sufficient gain with no SUT is best.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24 OP
9,795 posts
 
I hate to think of being without Fremer's coverage of all things phono, both in Stereophile and on Analog Planet. And as much as I like having his reviews, his phono section ones are of little value to a high-output cartridge user. Phono amps are all evaluated with low-output cartridges exclusively, and their performance with those cartridges may or may not carry over to their capability for use with a high-out device. What makes a high-gain amp better at amplifying the very small signal from a low-output cartridge, makes it WORSE for doing the same with a low-output one, is the point I'm trying to make.
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