Cartridge and phono stage chit-chat

[Blzebub]

*Have you tried any attenuators yet?

Yes I have borrowed some -15 dB attenuators from a kind pfmer. Next to no effect!

 

[vln]

Yes I have borrowed some -15 dB attenuators from a kind pfmer. Next to no effect!

Do you mean no effect WRT sound quality and/or no effect WRT the useful range on the volume control?

 

[pure sound]

Incidentally, the other option for the Transfig re-tip or re-build would be Goldring who've done fine work on a couple of Koetsu's I've heard.

 

[Blzebub]

Do you mean no effect WRT sound quality and/or no effect WRT the useful range on the volume control?

Hardly any effect WRT the useful range on the volume control. No effect on SQ.

 

[dave thomas]

Tried a range of pre amps with my ATC 50s they seemed to prefer a balanced pre . I changed my naim 82 + 2 hi caps to a BAT pre amp and phono stage.
IMO this sounded much better than the naim. Had a CD player with volume control to connect to the ATCs directly. Still preferred the sound through the pre.

 

[Blzebub]

Tried a range of pre amps with my ATC 50s they seemed to prefer a balanced pre . I changed my naim 82 + 2 hi caps to a BAT pre amp and phono stage.
IMO this sounded much better than the naim. Had a CD player with volume control to connect to the ATCs directly. Still preferred the sound through the pre.

OK, very good. Thanks for all the advice.

 

[artist]

How are you getting on with the Moon

 

[James]

Naim prefix with a HiCap and replace the DIN plug with RCA's. The prefix is rediculosly great value and sounds like a dream with the HiCap.

Yeah, right. A lowly DV P-75 beat the pants off a Supercapped Prefix. I guess that's all cartridge dependent, no?

 

[Blzebub]

How are you getting on with the Moon

It's OK. Better than the Whest. Maybe a bit too "smooth" for my tastes. But it obviously needs another 280 hours warm-up to sound at its best.

 

[Gaius]

280 hours, does it really.

Nearly 12 days to warm up and come on song....

 

[artist]

You should try and get a loan on a Whest 30se or 30rdt a major upgrade from what you have at the moment

 

[James]

Maybe a bit too "smooth" for my tastes.

Missing the LP12 already, I see?

 

[Blzebub]

Missing the LP12 already, I see?

Que?

 

[James]

Que?

Maybe the overdose of smoothness you're getting has more to do with the Benz and/or SME than the phono stage. My LP12/Lyra can't be accused of the same, notwithstanding the cheapie DV P-75 I have. Just sayin' ...

 

[Blzebub]

Maybe the overdose of smoothness you're getting has more to do with the Benz and/or SME than the phono stage. My LP12/Lyra can't be accused of the same, notwithstanding the cheapie DV P-75 I have. Just sayin' ...

An interesting theory. I remember trying out a Trichord PS back in my LP12 days, and this had a similar smoothness. I think it's the PS.

 

[sq225917]

Benz lp and an SME is just a polite combo, that's all there is to it, been there owned that...

 

[artist]

As I said try out a Whest unit

 

[dave thomas]

Dave how did you have the Benz loaded?

I used 400 to 600ish with one phono stage and around 200 to 500 ohms on another. Tried much higher and lower. It did seem happiest in the 400 region.

Agree with your polite comment above, although when I first got one I much preferred it to the previous cartridges I had owned.

I have always found it a problem choosing cartridges as they are very difficult to audition or compare.

 

[stevea]

Maybe the overdose of smoothness you're getting has more to do with the Benz and/or SME than the phono stage. My LP12/Lyra can't be accused of the same, notwithstanding the cheapie DV P-75 I have. Just sayin' ...

From my experience with the Moon 310LP it's the Moon. Polite was my description but smooth would also fit.

Steve

 

[Blzebub]

Benz lp and an SME is just a polite combo, that's all there is to it, been there owned that...

There's obviously more to it than that, as the "polite" thing only started when I connected the Moon PS.