Dear @dover : " Much more important than loading in my view is getting the gain structure right so you have the optimum voltage going into the phono. "
I agree with that statement. My Denon AU-1000 hast a gain ratio 1:11.5 and I used with every kind of LOMC characteristics and works just fine.
Yes, a SUT has its own " colorations " because noting is perfect but the critical issue , other that its gain, belongs to its really limited frequency range at both frequency ends against an active high gain stage. This objective characteristic speaks by it self of the real quality level in the SUT design. The today manufactures ( not all like Audio Tecchnica ) I think know that critical issue and normally they posted in their site NOTHING about and only the gain ratios but there is a way more critical issue and that's that the customers truly do not cares about and this is a true problem that goes in favor of the SUT manufacturers. I could think that maybe you already measured the Altec 4629 FR .
R.