Cartridgeman Musicmaker Cartridge resistive loading

[Big John]

I recently read an article on parallel resistive loading of Moving Iron cartridges particularly Grado. http://daveyw.edsstuff.org/vinyl/loading/

I use a Cartridgeman Musicmaster Cartridge. Though I was very happy with the cartridge into the Croft standard 47k ohm Moving iron/magnet loading I decided to give it a try.

I bought an RCA 2 female 1 male plug my son has a collection of 1/4w resistors I made & tried 6 pairs of resistor normal RCA plugs soldering the resistors from poss-neg in the RCA. It required no mods to my Croft phono stage

I settled on an 11k ohm per channel resistor which when added to the 47k ohm per channel = 9k ohm loading.(when resistors are in parallel the resistance is always lower than the lowest value resistor)

I was stunned by the result I am not going to attempt to describe the difference other than better in every way.

I sent an email to len Gregory aka The Cartridgeman to ask if he thought me a Heretic for moving from his published spec.

Len's reply

Hello John;

No, I have never been dogmatic about input requirements, I have always stated that it is a question of taste – think about it: every system has such varying intolerances of capacitance and resistance what with the wiring and impedance differentials that when I state that the basic requirement is for a 47 kHz input this is meant as a starting point a reference if you will, I have been using something less than this for a couple of decades, but you try explaining this to the guy who buys a phono-stage or pre-amplifier with a fixed value input who has no idea of matters electrical/technical and they freak out.

I think most people I have known for some time usually get round to experimenting with this parameter until they find what they are most comfortable with. I am, so pleased that you are discovering even greater musical treasures than before.

Enjoy the music –

Leonard.


Try it its cheap and instantly reversible. It also works with Moving Coils if your dip switches don't cut it you can even alter capacitance this way, moving irons are not overtly affected by capacitance. unfortunately higher values for Shure cartridges require mods to the phonostage.

 

[paskinn]

I use a Grado , wooden bodied version with the low, 0.5mv output. This cartridge is specked at 47k like all Grados. Because I have a step up with six loading options ....Music First...I can experiment at the flick of a switch. For me, the 47k loading us just fine, but as Len Grebory says, your mileage may vary.
Incidentally,if you get a chance, sample one of the more expensive Grados. To me, pound for pound, they outperform Len's version by quite a margin. Certainly worth hearing. And the low output samples are very quiet too.

 

[Big John]

paskin.

As Len and your good self say everything is system dependent, I have heard several Grado cartridges over the years some sounding very good in their respective systems likewise with Moving Coil cartridges.

The Musicmaster I use with it's Sapphire cantilever & tiny stylus with a new style pre-fitted "Isolator"is a totally different beast to the "musicmaker" range + Isolator I had in my Hadcock 242 Silver arm. even before playing with the resistance. The arm,cartridge & Isolator were designed to work together.

I am gratified that Len decided to use me as one of his guinea-pigs unknowingly testing this new cartridge, I now know that the Sapphire cantilever costs Len nearly as much as I unsuspectingly paid for my upgrade! as I posted on this forum before Christmas.

I know nothing else about the Musicmaster I know the Classic has silver coils but as for this one?.

Other than as stated a happy customer/guinea-pig. I have no financial connection with Len Gregory.

 

[needsp]

Hi John

I use a Cartridge Man Music Maker Classic- i.e. one up the range from the III, but below the Classic LE you use- in a Wilson Benesch Act 2 arm on a Voyd. My phono stage is valve based, and of my own design.

Last night I tried putting a 10k resistor in parallel with the existing 47k load, to give 8k25. I won't be going back to 47k! Though I may modify my phono input a little to facilitate comparing alternative values.

Thanks

Paul N

 

[Big John]

needsp

As I understand it from Len the Musicmaster will be the replacement for both the Classic & Classic LE so it could be related to both or not !?.

I tried a 1k resistor giving Ik when paralleled to 47K great sound but too full in the bass for my One Thing Audio Quad 57's via my valve phono,pre & power amp other speakers that are bass light could benefit from 1k.

PS have you tried Nuvistas; the pre amp my son built at college last year is lightening fast great for everything, with my much Modded Ming da MC7R pre with Russian valves has slightly better bass in my system but not into his re-built BOM (defunct Chinese company) dual mono 150w per channel solid state power amp with ridiculously high spec power supplies created all by Mark Manwaring White under his Audio Detail company, via a pair of 3 foot UBYTE 2 cables into a pair of TDL Studio 10's with modified xover & front ported instead of rear. The source my son uses is I pad or lap top

 

[needsp]

Hi

I didn’t know there was to be a “Music Master”, I misread it in your post as “Music Maker”. It was the sapphire cantilever and small diamond you mentioned that made me think of the LE. I doubt the Master’s behaviour under load will be any different, as I would I expect the fixed coils are very similar, if not identical.

Paul N