Long time ago when i bought my first hi-fi phono stage i didn’t know about loading. There was just one switch between mm and mc, later i realized it was just a gain switch, but the load was 47k for both (low and high output cartridges). Guess what phono stage it was?
It was $500 Grado PH-10 phono stage. The reason for no optional loading was obvious (all Grado carts are MI). I was using MC with that phono stage and it was just fine for LOMC.
My secong phono stage was much more expensive (about $2k), but also with no optional loading on MC input, because two SUTs inside the phono stage :) This is still the best phono stage (WLM Phonata ref.) when i need the deepest bass, nothing can beat it in low register for some reason.
Using JLTi at the moment i like 47k for MC, not for all of them, but for most of them (low impedance MC). I can use whatever load resistors with JLTi, i’m using low value resistors only if the cartridge is too bright, but it rarely happens. For open sound 47k Ohm is the best.
Regarding the Uber’s question i think the loading from 100 Ohm to 47k Ohm on my Gold Note phono stage is irrelevant for my FR-7fz. Only when i’m using lower value (for experiment) the sound became rolled off and not interesting in my system. Anything from 100 Ohm to 47k Ohm is good, i can’t detect a big difference with this particular FR-7fz cartridge. However, ZYX CPP-1 headamp does some magic with the same cart, it’s better with ZyX headamp in between FR-7fz and Gold Note phono stage (in MM mode).
Ortofon MC2000 directly connected to Gold Note was fine loaded at 47k or lower.
I think 47k Ohm is pretty much universal for most of my LOMC
