Madrigal cartridge loading?

Kmilette,

More than you may want to hear:

I have had the Tom Evans for 3 years, but for most of the 3 years I have experienced a series of cartridge/stylus problems that have left me unable to fully enjoy the unit.

I spent 13 months and almost $1,000 dealing with van den Hul / Stanalog their importer in order to have my original Rowland cartridge retipped. When I finally got it back after to trips overseas I found out I would have to send the Tom Evans unit to England for correct loading. That’s what they said to do. Big hassle and extended wait, not to mention shipping costs.

I would not buy a unit that required this again. I had a Roland Coherence a while back and loading was user adjusted. Much better.

Finally get the cartridge back and after screwing with it off and on for more than another year I just said screw it and reinstalled an old Madrigal cartridge I had. That’s what eventually led me to my AudiogoN post.

I completed wasted all this time and money fooling with the retipping and now to get the blasted Tom Evans in tune with my cartridge, I’ll have to ship it off again.

So the answer to your question is yes, I think the Tom Evans unit is undoubtedly a good one, but analog, which I love, is already enough of a hassle and having the Tom Evans loading complications is pouring on one more hassle I would live without next time.

Also, though I received a few helpful answers to my questions via AudiogoN, Audio Asylum provides much more informed advice/information about analog.

In case this response is not too late, I had a Madrigal Carnegie a number of years back, until it broke down and could not be repaired. It sounded wonderful. I do not know whether it was the Carnegie 1 or Carnegie 2.

I loaded it with the 3 ohm setting on my MC transformer, into a 47K preamp MM.

I am told that the actual load on the cartridge may have been about 400 ohms.

Regards.

Eguth

Best to stick with the "X" versions of the Tom Evans phono stages which have adjustable loading...