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Load Settings Help: Luxman E-250 and Koetsu Black Line

Hi Folks, I could do with some help as I don't understand load impedance or capacitance settings.  

I have a Luxman E-250 for my phono stage which is connected to a Michell Gyro SE with a Tecnoarm 2 and a Koetsu Black gold line cartridge mounted on the arm.  This all feeds a C900u and a M10x. 

The settings on the E-250 are default but I feel there is more to be had with the sound based on some other similar setups i've heard.  Could I get some recommendations on load settings?   

sdavada
Post removed 
sdavada OP
17 posts
 

Some quick testing, setup sounds best (for my ears at least) on 100K.  Sound is pretty neutral, lacking some low weight on some tracks/records.  

I like the tone of the cartridge and i'm pretty set on it, does anyone have alternative recommendations for a preamp to match the cart?

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,859 posts
 

@sdavada The cartridge literally does not care how you load it until the load value is quite low and then the cartridge output will decrease.

But when the cartridge is tracking, it generates Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) and many phono sections are unhappy with that. You can cut the RFI entirely by using a loading resistor. On this account its not a critical value but might vary from phono section to phono section.

The load shunts the RFI noise by detuning the RF resonance that causes the problem. Its a bit technical; let me know if you want the full explanation.

If the phono section is immune to the RFI you’ll find the industry stock value of 47KOhms to work fine and loading to have little effect. If the phono section has RFI problems the loading will have quite a lot of effect.

Phono cartridges are a balanced source; if you are looking for a phono section you might take that into account. If running balanced from the cartridge to the phono section, the cable can be really neutral (one of the reasons to go balanced is to eliminate cable colorations). There’s really no way to correct for losses or colorations downstream from the phono, no matter how good your amps or speakers are!

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