Load-resistance for MC's

[rho]

I'm working on a gainstage to connect between my MM phono-pre and an MC cartridge. Now I read in "Stereoplay" (Oct 4004, Germany) that the load resistance for an MC is not that critical. As long as you keep it 5x as high as the coil resistance there shouldn't be any problem.
Ofcourse the capacitance is rather important.

What do you guys think about it?
What range should be sufficient to select my resistance and capacitance from?
Now: 33pF <-> 900pF
120 Ohm <-> 10k Ohm

[gtob]

100Ù resistor and a 10nF capacitor should do the job

[rho]

As high as 10nF? Is that to decrease the influence of the interlink?

[gtob]

MC cartridges have rather high capacitance (in comparison to MM) you could also refer to your manufacturer's manual and see what is the exact capacitance of the cartridge you want to use.

[rho]

I haven't decided yet.
I just want to build a gainstage that gives me the oportunity to go for MC when I feel like it.

[Chris Jennings]

For most low output MC 40-100 ohms is fine, for high output MC consider around 1k+.

As for capacitance i just use a few hundred pF, the exact value does not seem to effect most low OP MCs.

HTH

Chris

[Brian Clark]

Hi rho. I'm currently exploring the Kaneta approach with 220k input resistance. I can plug in parallel resistors to get any desired resistance below this but have yet to focus on any sonic improvement with lower terminating resistance.

I am using the version of the EAR834P circuit built by Carsten Rauth but with air-vane tuning capacitors for equalization and silver mica coupling between V1 & V2. It is very quiet and I have sold my step-up transformers!

Cartridges are Denon DL-103R and Ortofon SPU Mono.

Brian.

[rho]

Originally posted by Chris Jennings
For most low output MC 40-100 ohms is fine, for high output MC consider around 1k+.

As for capacitance i just use a few hundred pF, the exact value does not seem to effect most low OP MCs.

HTH

Chris

And for HO MC's? Would I be safe with the same value is I would use for MM's?

[rho]

Originally posted by Brian Clark
Hi rho. I'm currently exploring the Kaneta approach with 220k input resistance. I can plug in parallel resistors to get any desired resistance below this but have yet to focus on any sonic improvement with lower terminating resistance.

I am using the version of the EAR834P circuit built by Carsten Rauth but with air-vane tuning capacitors for equalization and silver mica coupling between V1 & V2. It is very quiet and I have sold my step-up transformers!

Cartridges are Denon DL-103R and Ortofon SPU Mono.

Brian.

Isn't 220k a little high? If lower resistance doesn't influece the sound, why would you go this high in resistance?

[Brian Clark]

Originally posted by rho
Isn't 220k a little high? If lower resistance doesn't influece the sound, why would you go this high in resistance?

I built my "Korrektorix" correction amp with 220k input loading resistors, the aim being to select loading by plugging resistors in parallel. A visitor suggested listening without this extra loading and I have been leisurely evaluating since.

Yosh told me about Akihiko Kaneta's preference for "unloaded" 103. I don't have the regular 103 but have the 14 ohm 103R so impact on signal level is negligible.

However, the majority of my record collection is mono and my SPU Mono gets a boost with this loading. It will take me a while to know for sure what loadings I prefer with the two cartridges.

I am aware that some folk quite like their MCs direct in to the regular 47k of a MM phono amp, preferring the sound to transformer boosting. I have discovered that I too prefer my music "unforced"

Noise is not a problem in my situation.

Brian.