I don't know of any other MC cartridge where the recommended load impedance in the specifications covers such a wide range (between 30Ω and 50.000Ω resp. 50KΩ). Maybe a missprint ?
According the frequency response (go to the attached files) the a lower value arround 30Ω-40Ω seems more likely to me (as long as the measurement for frequency response was carried out without using a load impedance).
Under
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/thoughts-on-the-madrigal-carnegie-one
I read this:
During the reorganization of Benz, a collaboration was arranged between Van den Hul, Mori and Lukaschek. Lukaschek already worked for Benz, and Mori was well-regarded for his contribution in the development of the Sony XL55 cartridge which employed a novel coil. Everyone knows about A.J.Van den Hul, of course. The work of the men resulted in the production of the Benz Silver, the Van den Hul One, and the Madrigal Carnegie One.
Like the Sony moving coil, the Carnegie One has an unusual figure eight coil design. Another feature is that the Madrigal has a layered cantilever made from carbon fiber, beryllium, and aluminum. No other cartridge that I am aware of ever used this exact cantilever composition.
The cartridge shares a common tip with Van den Hul models, the true line contact that Van den Hul designed.
Like the Sony, many examples tend to be low-riders over time. That said, if it doesn't ride low in the groove now you will probably be okay with it. If it does ride low, however, take a pass because the body is not easily opened for repair. That is the only mechanical downside that comes to mind. I own two, and one came as a low-rider. Check it before you buy it.
How does it sound? Everyone has a flavor he prefers, but reviewers at the time considered the Madrigal Carnegie One to be one of the most neutral cartridges ever made, and most of those guys ended up with one in his stockpile. I find the sound to be very clean, but not overly exciting. Still, it is a nice cartridge worth owning that is still capable of beating the performance of a lot of today's offerings.
If you get it, it has a Dynamic Compliance of 17 x 10-6 cm/Dyne, so it will work well with a wide range of tonearms. As far as VTF goes, mine seems to like 1.6-1.7 grams. I haven't used it in awhile, so I can't tell you exactly where I used it last, but it in that range.
Under
http://www.pladespilleren.dk/HIGHfidelity/HF 1987-3 Carnegie One VdH MC10.pdf
there was reviewed this cartridge together with Shinon Red, VDH MC10 and Kuetsu Rosewood Signature (mounted on a SME V ton arm)
But I don't find any advice concerning the best suited load impedance.
More URLs:
https://www.audioasylum.com/audio/vinyl/messages/72/723119.html
https://www.audioasylum.com/audio/vinyl/messages/72/723168.html
http://www.koerner.de/michael/Sony_Yoshihisa_Mori.html (BENZ)
https://www.stereonet.com/forums/topic/114837-fs-madrigal-carnegie-one-mc-cartridge/ (Load Impedance: 47K)
https://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?t=65980 (Load Impedance 40 Ohms)
https://www.canuckaudiomart.com/det...drigal-carnegie-1-moving-coil/images/3413056/ (30 ohms to 50K)
https://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?t=65980
https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/madrigal-carnegie-one-lomc-cart-levinson.43927/
https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/mark-levinson-madrigal-carnegie-one-not-working.109859/
both this cartridge and LMC-1 from Luxman - go to
https://audio-database.com/LUXMAN/etc/lmc-1.html
https://www.hifido.co.jp/sold/05-24854-58469-00.html?LNG=E
https://audio-database.com/LUXMAN/etc/lmc-1.html
seems to be a derivat (rebadged version) from SONY's XL-MC7 - go to
https://images.hifido.co.jp/14/046/04675/b.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/81/94/d1/8194d155578ffac0dc6e2e21b0dd11d6.jpg
- at least according various URLs like those under
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/luxman-releasing-a-mc-cart-in-japan?sort_order=desc
and
http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...org/sony-XL-MC1.html&hl=de&gl=de&client=opera
If this is right, the electrical characteristic compare to the Carnegie ONE are nearly the same, then the recommended load impedance on Luxman's LMC-1 according
https://audio-database.com/LUXMAN/etc/lmc-1.html
https://www.hifispeaker.wiki/item/sony-xl-mc7
is a good start for investigate the sonic behavior:
Head amplifier : 40 Ω or more
Step-up transformer : 3 Ω or more.
Concerning SONY's XL-MC7 - go to
https://www.hifispeaker.wiki/item/sony-xl-mc7
http://20cheaddatebase.web.fc2.com/needie/NDSONY/XL-MC7.html
is no mentioned different resistor values between step up transformer and head amp use (30 ohms coil imp.,100 ohm or more for load impedance).
Where I can find the correct information regarded the right load impedance (maybe there are test reviews, who this is explain) ?
Thank you very much in advance.
P.S.: various MC cartridges need in additional a capacitor for a flat frequency response - go to
http://www.extremephono.com/Loading.htm (fig. 2).
Maybe even this cartridge ?
According the frequency response (go to the attached files) the a lower value arround 30Ω-40Ω seems more likely to me (as long as the measurement for frequency response was carried out without using a load impedance).
Under
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/thoughts-on-the-madrigal-carnegie-one
I read this:
During the reorganization of Benz, a collaboration was arranged between Van den Hul, Mori and Lukaschek. Lukaschek already worked for Benz, and Mori was well-regarded for his contribution in the development of the Sony XL55 cartridge which employed a novel coil. Everyone knows about A.J.Van den Hul, of course. The work of the men resulted in the production of the Benz Silver, the Van den Hul One, and the Madrigal Carnegie One.
Like the Sony moving coil, the Carnegie One has an unusual figure eight coil design. Another feature is that the Madrigal has a layered cantilever made from carbon fiber, beryllium, and aluminum. No other cartridge that I am aware of ever used this exact cantilever composition.
The cartridge shares a common tip with Van den Hul models, the true line contact that Van den Hul designed.
Like the Sony, many examples tend to be low-riders over time. That said, if it doesn't ride low in the groove now you will probably be okay with it. If it does ride low, however, take a pass because the body is not easily opened for repair. That is the only mechanical downside that comes to mind. I own two, and one came as a low-rider. Check it before you buy it.
How does it sound? Everyone has a flavor he prefers, but reviewers at the time considered the Madrigal Carnegie One to be one of the most neutral cartridges ever made, and most of those guys ended up with one in his stockpile. I find the sound to be very clean, but not overly exciting. Still, it is a nice cartridge worth owning that is still capable of beating the performance of a lot of today's offerings.
If you get it, it has a Dynamic Compliance of 17 x 10-6 cm/Dyne, so it will work well with a wide range of tonearms. As far as VTF goes, mine seems to like 1.6-1.7 grams. I haven't used it in awhile, so I can't tell you exactly where I used it last, but it in that range.
Under
http://www.pladespilleren.dk/HIGHfidelity/HF 1987-3 Carnegie One VdH MC10.pdf
there was reviewed this cartridge together with Shinon Red, VDH MC10 and Kuetsu Rosewood Signature (mounted on a SME V ton arm)
But I don't find any advice concerning the best suited load impedance.
More URLs:
https://www.audioasylum.com/audio/vinyl/messages/72/723119.html
https://www.audioasylum.com/audio/vinyl/messages/72/723168.html
http://www.koerner.de/michael/Sony_Yoshihisa_Mori.html (BENZ)
https://www.stereonet.com/forums/topic/114837-fs-madrigal-carnegie-one-mc-cartridge/ (Load Impedance: 47K)
https://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?t=65980 (Load Impedance 40 Ohms)
https://www.canuckaudiomart.com/det...drigal-carnegie-1-moving-coil/images/3413056/ (30 ohms to 50K)
https://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?t=65980
https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/madrigal-carnegie-one-lomc-cart-levinson.43927/
https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/mark-levinson-madrigal-carnegie-one-not-working.109859/
both this cartridge and LMC-1 from Luxman - go to
https://audio-database.com/LUXMAN/etc/lmc-1.html
https://www.hifido.co.jp/sold/05-24854-58469-00.html?LNG=E
https://audio-database.com/LUXMAN/etc/lmc-1.html
seems to be a derivat (rebadged version) from SONY's XL-MC7 - go to
https://images.hifido.co.jp/14/046/04675/b.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/81/94/d1/8194d155578ffac0dc6e2e21b0dd11d6.jpg
- at least according various URLs like those under
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/luxman-releasing-a-mc-cart-in-japan?sort_order=desc
and
http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...org/sony-XL-MC1.html&hl=de&gl=de&client=opera
If this is right, the electrical characteristic compare to the Carnegie ONE are nearly the same, then the recommended load impedance on Luxman's LMC-1 according
https://audio-database.com/LUXMAN/etc/lmc-1.html
https://www.hifispeaker.wiki/item/sony-xl-mc7
is a good start for investigate the sonic behavior:
Head amplifier : 40 Ω or more
Step-up transformer : 3 Ω or more.
Concerning SONY's XL-MC7 - go to
https://www.hifispeaker.wiki/item/sony-xl-mc7
http://20cheaddatebase.web.fc2.com/needie/NDSONY/XL-MC7.html
is no mentioned different resistor values between step up transformer and head amp use (30 ohms coil imp.,100 ohm or more for load impedance).
Where I can find the correct information regarded the right load impedance (maybe there are test reviews, who this is explain) ?
Thank you very much in advance.
P.S.: various MC cartridges need in additional a capacitor for a flat frequency response - go to
http://www.extremephono.com/Loading.htm (fig. 2).
Maybe even this cartridge ?
Attachments
-
madrigal-carnegie-one var views.jpg -
madrigal-carnegie-ONE package.jpg -
High-Fidelity issue 1987-3 Carnegie One VdH MC10.pdf
-
madrigal-carnegie-one spec.jpg -
madrigal-carnegie-one freq. resp-II.jpg -
madrigal-carnegie-one freq. resp..jpg -
madrigal-carnegie-one.jpg -
madrigal-carnegie-one-mc-cartridge (4).jpg -
madrigal-carnegie-one-mc-cartridge (3).jpg -
madrigal-carnegie-one-mc-cartridge (2).jpg -
madrigal-carnegie-one-mc-cartridge.jpg -
Luxman LMC-1-IVI.jpg -
Luxman LMC-1-VI.jpg -
Luxman LMC-1-Luxman LMC-1-V.jpg -
Luxman LMC-1-IV.jpg
Last edited:
Its moving coil, the load impedance is much less critical than an MM cartridge which might have 1k + 1H source impedence (a MC cartridge might be more like 5R + 10µH). With MM the large inductance means the load resistance and capacitance work as a filter with the source impedance so that the audio frequency response is highly dependent on the load and you have to get the load capacitance right.
For MC you'd have to add a huge load capacitance (µF) to have any effect on the frequency response at audible frequencies so for instance cable capacitance is irrelevant.
However cartridges vary a lot in source impedance, perhaps the only way to be sure is make measurements with a test disc and trial-and-error until you get the flattest curve, but many MC cartridges have source impedance of 1 to 10 ohms and work with 100-300 ohms load.
For MC you'd have to add a huge load capacitance (µF) to have any effect on the frequency response at audible frequencies so for instance cable capacitance is irrelevant.
However cartridges vary a lot in source impedance, perhaps the only way to be sure is make measurements with a test disc and trial-and-error until you get the flattest curve, but many MC cartridges have source impedance of 1 to 10 ohms and work with 100-300 ohms load.
If one use an Audio Technica's OC-9 ML-II, only a resistor between 27Ω and 33Ω is necessary for flat frequency-response (go to the diagrams in the attachment), where there is only a slight increase in the upper range. This isn't possible on Madrigal's Carnegie ONE - check out diagrams from image 5+6 in post #1
