Impedance Loading for SS Hyperion


"470 - 1000Ω" says Peter Ledermann. My phono stage offers 400. 800, 1,200. so I used 400 initially (extremely smooth), decided 800 was better (some edge present) and 1.2k even better still. There is one higher setting allowed for the MC input (along with several lower ones), 47k. So I’m trying it, and I like it. I keep swapping to the London Reference I am comparing the Hyperion to, and it seems the higher the impedance loading, the closer they sound. I am not experiencing the "peaked high end" I was warned of if loading is increased over 1000Ω.

Maybe my half a remaining ear (thanks, streptomycin!) simply can’t hear the cartridge screeching. Might work for others with high frequency loss? I think the issue is that I have a powered sub that is making sure I hear some bass whatever the loading is set to. If I turn it off the Quad 2905 speakers alone don't sound as if I'm listening to the full range of sound. Perhaps I should set the loading without the sub, and then do my usual procedure of setting the sub volume so I cannot tell that it is switched on, but all the same things sound better?

dogberry

Can you guys confirm when you say you are loading your SS cartridges at 47k are you going into a MC input then loading at 47k. I thought most MM sections are all 47k ohms. 

Whatever input offers enough phono gain. Both my balanced phono stages offer 47K ohms into high gain RIAA circuits. One came that way. One I modified myself.

Yes 47kΩ on an MC input. You're right that MM inputs are almost always 47k, and are often fixed at that.

I can use a MC input and load it to whatever value I want, or use a MM input which is what I use when I use an SUT.  The latter is my most often chosen approach.