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Cartridge loading

Presently I am using a ZU/Denon DL103 mc cartridge with ZU Audio's highest tolerances.  I had this cartridge mounted on my VPI Prime and after going through all the various loading combinations, I settled on 200 ohms.  I was always satisfied with my choice of setting.  I no longer have the Prime and now use the Technics SL1200G turntable.  After having the same cartridge mounted and aligned by the dealer, I inserted it into my system and enjoyed the sound immensely, never touching the 200 ohm setting.

Yesterday I was listening to vinyl most of the day and for some reason I found the sound to be better than ever, mostly in the treble area.  The highs had shimmer when needed and I had played the same records many times before on the Prime and they never sounded as good as they did yesterday.  Just for the heck of it, I checked the cartridge loading and found it was now set at 1000 ohms.  As I said, when I put the Technics into the system, I never bothered changing the loading which was at 200 ohms as it was the same cartridge, just a different turntable.

I believe I know what happened, when I last used the tone controls on my McIntosh preamp, (you have to shuffle through a menu) I must have inadvertently put the cartridge loading at 1000 ohms.  It truly sounds fantastic, better than I ever thought possible.  The Bass is still very deep and taut, midrange is the same but the treble, oh my, so much better.  Now the million dollar question is why should it now sound better at 1000 ohms, when it sounded great before at 200 ohms?  Can the tonearm on the Technics have an effect on cartridge loading?  I always thought it was all dependent on the preamp, amp and speakers.  What am I missing here?  I am very curious to know.  The specs for my cartridge say greater than 50 ohms for loading.

Thanks
stereo5
bydlo
142 posts
 
@intactaudio As I said in proper design it is obviously possible to reach a neutral balance and this is what we all do adjusting the load. Is the article available online?
In general, there are dozens of situations where a wise pre-loading linearizes a mechanical system. Think e.g. of a motor, where a pre-load helps to smoothen out coging


atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,174 posts
 
The question is so what if at the end you can reach a natural balance? If you cannot, sth is wrong or substandard.
Yes.
intactaudio
307 posts
 
Alas this article is not available online but if you go to the IAR website it states Issue #5 can be purchased.  I got my copies off of Ebay when I was pointed to the topic.

I said in proper design it is obviously possible to reach a neutral balance and this is what we all do adjusting the load

I think most of us agree that adjusting the load of an MC cart does have some effect on the sound.  It is the cause of what we are hearing is that is up for debate.  As it stands now I think the quoted text above sums it up pretty nicely and I find it interesting that outside of Moncrief, historically I have yet to see mention of this.  

dave

rauliruegas
13,129 posts
 
Dear @bydlo : He is changing as the thread goes on because the main subject is that he posted:

"" will limit the ability of the cartridge to trace higher frequencies .."""

" to trace " not attenuates and that " limit the cartridge abilities on HF range is what I’m questioning to him and asking for evidence true evidence ( for many years now. ) on it because in any internet audio forum no one and I mean it: no one never reported that a loading change or a 100 ohms load in a LOMC cartridge produce that tracking/trace HF problem ! !  I had not never with any cartridge in my systems in the last 30 years with different phono stages and different loads impedances.

No one is questioning the electromagnetic damping but does not exist that trace/tracking problem because of it.

I was not whom posted about trace/tracking issue but him and he continue spreading that inexistent behavior from several years now. Go figure.

R.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,174 posts
 
no one never reported that a loading change or a 100 ohms load in a LOMC cartridge produce that tracking/trace HF problem ! !
To be clear, I have maintained and as we've seen on this thread, any damping will result in less HF response. Any LOMC cartridge these days has bandwidth far in excess of 20KHz; I can reproduce 35KHz sine waves I cut on my Westerex/Scully cutter and lathe system with a Grado Gold which is a MM cartridge which inherently has less bandwidth that LOMC. Since my cutter is bandwidth limited to 42KHz to prevent excess power from damaging it (this due to the pre-emphasis curve which boosts high frequencies at 6dB/octave) I've not been able to cut higher frequencies to see how high LOMC cartridges can really go, but I am certain that they can easily go past 60KHz.


I have not maintained as Raul claims that there will be a 'tracking/trace problem'; in fact I've been very careful about my use of English (not Raul's first language) to simply say that by causing the cartridge to drive a lower impedance it will of course be less able to trace higher frequencies. I've not said what those frequencies are. And I've also maintained that this is an area that warrants further study.


Raul has created a Strawman argument (and being a logical fallacy, therefore a false argument) that I've been saying that loading the cartridge leads to mistracking. I've not said that at any time; its my assumption that Raul's use of English not as his native language has led him in this manner.
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