Allnic H-1201 Cartridge loading?


Hello all!
i am considering upgrading my phono pre to an Allnic H-1201.  However, I am concerned by the lack of loading with this unit.  Am I missing something?  If you select MC input, what is the loading?  Also, how about MM?  Do I understand correctly there is no loading capabilities with the H-1201?  Is that possible, a $3k phono preamp with no loading?
Thanks for any and all comments.
Louis

louisl

Showing 3 responses by lewm

Louis, You’ve got the right idea, for MC, but the wrong correspondence between db of gain and resistance. The values are stated in reverse order in the review, gain vs resistance. I think it would be as follows:
62 db gain = 278 Ohms = 13X gain
66 db gain = 117 Ohms = 20X
68 db gain = 69 Ohms = 26X
72 db gain = 29 Ohms = 40X
In other words, as gain goes up, resistance goes down, because you are using transformers with increasingly higher turns ratios to get more gain.

For MM, I would guess the MM inputs bypass all of the 4 permalloy SUTs and end up with the 40db total gain that is inherent to the RIAA section (adequate for most MMs, perhaps a little low for some MI types). Also, since the impedance seen is equal to the value of the static load resistor divided by the square of the turns ratio, for MC, we can extrapolate back using any of the above set of data points to get the value of the load resistor seen by the MM cartridge (and also at the secondaries of each of the 4 SUTs), which would be 47K ohms, as predicted and as is typical.
(For 40X gain, that means the turns ratio is 1:40. The square of 40 is 1600. 47K divided by 1600 is 29 ohms, as shown above.)
From a review:
"The voltage gain of the MC section is variable, as it’s able to be switched between an indicated 22dB, 26dB, 28dB and 32dB. However, because the MC section includes a fixed gain stage with a voltage gain of 40dB, the actual gains are 62dB, 66dB, 68dB and 72dB. When you switch gain on the MC section, you also necessarily switch input impedances, which Allnic confusingly labels as ×13, ×20, ×26 and ×40, stating only that the highest input impedance the MC section offers is 280Ω. In fact, according to Kang Su Park, the corresponding impedances are 29Ω, 69Ω, 117Ω and 278Ω. In each case these are suitable for cartridges ‘up to 29Ω,’ ‘up to 69Ω’, ‘up to 117Ω’ and ‘up to 278Ω’."  That should answer your question regarding the use of MC cartridges.

Without spending more time (5 minutes so far), the MM section is likely to present a standard 47K ohm load.  The forte of this unit is probably to use it with MC cartridges.

All this information is probably available from any Allnic dealer or at the Allnic website or by searching for a review on-line.  I can't help you with actual facts, but it is impossible that there would be "no loading". What you seem to be concerned about is whether there is a facility to adjust loading.  Otherwise, the loading is likely to be a fixed value for each of the two major classes of phono cartridge, an industry standard value for MM (typically 47K ohms) or for MC (typically 100 ohms).

Now I will search to see how long it takes to answer your question in further detail.