[Dan Kolton]

 
I recently ordered a Grado Statement Sonata cartridge (not the latest version so good discount). I own the Supex ST-180 SUT and sometimes use it for an old Denon DL-103, but can play the 103 straight into my pre-amp (just turn it up to 12 instead of 9 o'clock). The Grado load is specified as 47K, but I find this hard to believe with a 2mh, 2ohm coil and .5mv output spec. Will the Grado be loaded properly using the minimum turns ratio (about 14)? Should I be thinking of an MC pre such as Hagerman Piccolo or Cambridge 640p? Does anyone actually know what the load should be on this cartridge? I'd rather not go even further over my budget than I did for the cartridge!
 
       
 
 

 

[stone deaf]

Since no one has answered, I own a Grado Reference Sonata 47K and my phono preamp is a Decware ZP3 RIAA tube phono stage with a 47K input impedance. It sounds unbelievably good.

[Dan Kolton]

Thanks, stone deaf, but my Sonata isn't a Reference; it's a Statement (low output).  I'm able to play it at 12 to 3 o'clock through my AVA pre-amp, but I'd like a bit more gain.

[TheChairGuy]

Dan,

If you load 2mh inductance and reasonable capacitance figures (say 125pf) into a calculator for such things (http://www.hagtech.com/loading.html) the real resonant point likely comes so far out of the audio band that it's probably inconsequential (which is why Grado notes 47K as the loading point).

Unfortunately with moving coils, the resonant point seems to occur at much lower values (for whatever reason) in the audio band, so low loading rates are needed.  The peaks need to be squashed with most (maybe, all) moving coils.

On the higher output Prestige series, which plugged into the same calculator came out to 10-12K or so loading, it sounds best at 47K, too.  I tried 11K and 32K, I thought 32K was improvement in some areas, but ultimately 47K sounded best for it 

These calcs are all just a starting point...they don't take into account tip resonance and other matters.  So, you end up using your ears in the end anyhow in the end

John