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Benz Micro Glider Loading

Hello,

I have an original Benz Glider. The measurements that came with the cartridge is .9mv and suggested loading is 1000-47k.

I ran this into a Krell KSL w/phono stage at 1k with good results.

I’ve also ran this into a Rogue Audio Model 99 Magnum with tubed phono and Hagerman Piccolo head amp at 1k with good results.

Right now, I’m using a MoFi Studio phono pre and am running it at 1k.

I’ve tried higher and lower load settings and to my ears, 1k seems to be the sweet spot.

I’ve been looking at phono pre’s on Audiogon and USAudiomart. I noticed some of them don’t have 1k loading as an option.

Should this deter me from considering these units?

I noticed after doing some research that others have been running their Gliders at much less than 1k. I found that running it much below 1k kind of sucked the life out of the sound in my experience.

I should mention that I had the Glider retipped with a micro-line stylus profile. The original was elliptical.

Admittedly, I may not understand loading and how it works as well as others. I can only go by what sounds good to me.

nicktheknife

Showing 2 responses by lewm

lewm
12,522 posts
 

I personally would use 47K ohms for a load with a HOMC cartridge.  I agree.  Reason why not many phono stages offer multiple choices for cartridge loading is that the switching mechanism itself, unless done rigorously, can add noise, etc.  It's a purist approach not to use switching (also cheaper for the manufacturer, of course).

lewm
12,522 posts
 

What Mulveling wrote is relevant information, but if you know that you prefer a 1K load with your particular version of the Glider, that is the dominant information.  If you plan to keep your Glider for the foreseeable future, then it is almost certainly possible to modify any phono stage so as to present a 1K load to your cartridge.  At worst, this amounts to opening the chassis, removing whatever load resistor, and replacing that resistor with a 1K value.  No big deal.  Any good tech can do this for you. Try either an Audio Note tantalum resistor, Caddock TF020 (avaiable from Michael Percy Audio), or Texas Instruments TX2575.  I happen to like the last one best, but you will like any of these brands in 1K value.  No need to convince yourself that you now prefer some other loading option, just because you cannot find a phono stage that offers an option of 1K ohms.

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