Chakster -
I’m just curious as to why you said loading does not make a difference with the 4D, and with low ouput MC cartridges with low internal impedance in general. I have not read that before, but that is just a reflection that I admit I do not know everything. Not trying to start a beef, I’m just trying to learn and get the best sound out of my 4D. Anyways, I am still not totally convinced.
I do find it interesting that Nakatsuka-San chose 125 ohms for his head amp, as I had tried different options for my Allnic phono stage, listened with my ears, and settled on 117 ohms. I was pretty close. I am curious as to why he choose such a specific value of 125 ohms, and not, for example, 400 ohms? Is it possible there is a difference and he thinks that a higher loading value such as 400 ohms would be detrimental to the sound? Or could he have picked 400 ohms because, like you say, it makes no difference?
The fact that some audiophiles say that loading does not make a difference is anecdotal. I’m not dogmatic and can be convinced to their point of view, but I would point out that there are many audiophiles, and they seem to be in the majority, who claim to hear a difference with different loading options with their low output MC cartridges (this is of course also anecdotal) . This includes me and many other people here on Audiogon and elsewhere.
Here’s one thing that is troubling me with respect to your opinion that loading does not make a difference with the 4D. A couple of reviewers have written that loading makes a difference when using ZYX Universe cartridges, which if I recall correctly have the same internal impedance and output as the 4D. Myles Astor wrote, " Cartridge loading seemed best between 100 and 180 ohms into Doshi phono stage." Arthur Salvatore uses a Universe and reviewed the phono stage that I am currently using. He wrote: “the CSPS is only meant to be used with low output MC cartridges …. when my initial MC loading was set too low, … the sound was ‘dead’ for a while. Once I raised the setting one and then, later, two clicks up, that ‘problem’ completely disappeared. The lesson here is obvious; always experiment yourself to find the optimum setting.”
Food for thought.