Phono preamp or SUT for low output moving coil


I have three low output moving coil cartridges

  • Cello Chorale
  • Van den Hul Grasshopper II
  • Zu/ DL-103 Mk II

My phone preamps have phono input (Nagra PL-P and Conrad Johnson PV-7) but do not provide sufficient gain.  Looking for suggestions.   Open to any and all suggestions including stand-alone Phono pre into preamp line, SUT or electronic equivalent of SUT etc.

dcaudio

I have horn tweeters, and horn mids, and they would reveal any hiss or hum, I have none happily. The FRT-4 SUT has zero hum in my system.

IF you know you will stick with a single arm, with removable headshells for optional pre-mounted cartridges, the Ortofon T30 has 5 optional gain/loads and PASS for MM

I never heard one, I found it’s specs a long time ago

 

Example: my AT33ptg/II has 0.3mv/10 ohm coil.

LOAD: 'Try For' Formula says coil impedance x 10, so target is 100 ohm load. The 12 ohm setting yields a 118 ohm load, so use that. That setting's GAIN equates to x factor 20, thus signal would be 0.3mv x 20 = 6mv which is more than enough, question becomes too much, might cause overload? probably not.

My FRT-4 setting marked 10 is identical to Ortofon's setting marked 12, both +26db, x factor 20, resultant load 118 ohms, it's like the rules of Bridge, don't ask why, just learn the rules and play.

If you want top of the line or near top of the line, one option would be the (current-based) CH Precision P1, with or without the X1.  Another approach with SUT would be Ypsilon VPS100, or the EMIA LR Phono Corrector.

@dcaudio

Look into this hidden jewel from Japan. Direct ship to you for under $800. Dedicated gain for Low and High MC carts.

http://softone.a.la9.jp/english/Model4/m4-1.htm

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You could get BOTH Hagerman’s Piccolo ZERO (transimpedance) and Piccolo MC (voltage drive) head-amps brand new for just over $500 and be covered for virtually any cartridge’s needs in the future (and already mentioned, "transimpedance" is not a good match for every cart, like Benz Ruby / LPS, VdH Colibri, or that Denon). Pick your favorite MM stage to pair them with, especially tubes.

Synergistic parings are hard to nail down for any given cartridge & system (ad the MC stage is where it matters most!), but these units generally sound very good and are much more flexible than the typical SUT. I’ve gotten particularly amazing sonic results from the little ZERO paired with Koetsu Blue Lace Diamond and Ortofon SPU Classic GE Mk II. The lower the output, the more efficient the ZERO is at amplification, as long as its coil impedance is going down proportionally (like with the SPU). The voltage-mode Piccolo is just a good basic head-amp - I find Hagerman's offerings here typically a bit warmer and more musical than you'd find in e.g. Herron or Audio Research, but with the caveat being a bit higher noise floor than average.  

At their prices, just add them to your toolkit lol. It’s also a good baseline to determine whether a fancy expensive SUT has good synergy to your cart or not.