Koetsu Blue Lace Onyx vs. Coralstone

@mulveling 

Sorry for the delay - installed my air-gap phono/pre, and now have a very good idea of preferred loading.

After the 1931Ag Lundahl's (set at 8 x step-up gain), I am loading the input between 2K and 3K (nude Vishay's), and 0 pF capacitance. This corresponds to a cartridge loading of 25R to 40R, according to the factory rep's website (K&K Audio).

That said, my room is a real bear, and it just eats up low frequency signal; an LF black hole, if you will. So, if I ever get the room tamed, or build a new one, I may well like a higher resistive loading.

That's the KRSP/dc, air bearing arm, air bearing TT.

@terry9
Thanks! For a taste of something different last night, I switched back to my stage’s onboard LL1931, and I have to admit they definitely bring some extra transparency and detail to the table vs. the CineMags. I lose some warmth and bloom from the CineMag, but I’m beginning to think maybe that’s not as accurate. Of course I can also eliminate that extra IC, two connection points, and I have 5 loading options only when using the onboard LL.

I ended up really liking the Coralstone loaded at a net 50 ohms, vs the higher settings (75, 125), and can go down to 25 next time I try. But 50 ohms was sounding extremely well balanced in my system. This phono stage also loads the secondary with nude Vishays. However ,I have the LL1931 set at 16x gain. Any reason why you chose 8x over 16x? 16x helps keep the noise floor dead quiet in my system.

@mulveling 

I use 8x because I constructed my phono stage so that the volume control is identically the gain control on the output stage, so there is no wasted amplification. The gain control usually sits between a gain of 50 and 150 (plus the 8x contribution from the Lundahls).

Since the volume control consists of a rotary switch selecting different nude Vishays (not a ladder), the gain is not compromised in any respect, and the output is black at 8x. Since I suspect that distortion is an increasing function of gain, even in Lundahls, I leave the Lundahls at their floor.

Those Vishays sure do keep the circuit quiet, and complementary aerospace MATxy don't hurt either.

@nicknick 

Thanks for sharing your experiences - I'm happy with my KRSP, but ... good to know the options.

Please keep us informed.

I'm now using a Coincident Audio Statement Phono, loading at 30 ohm. The stock tubes were replaced with Telefunken ribbed-plate 12ax7 which are much quieter & paint a larger sonic picture. I had a ARC Ref Phono 3 previously but felt the sound was too aggressive, the decay was curtailed too, guess the 6h30p supertubes in the ARC are probably too fast for phono amplification purpose.  I never had much luck with SUT, transparency always suffered somewhat in my system. A friend who also has a Blue Lace diamond cantilever uses Kondo silver SUT with a matching phono with excellent results, but they are too pricy for me.