Benz Micro M2 loading

I was wrong. I just loaded it to 1k. WOW-WOW-WOW. The Steinway plays from top to bottom with aplomb. It is worth every penny to me. You have to hear it to be-able to believe it. I have found one of the Golden Grails. I chose this cart without even hearing it.

Just Amazing,

ROGER BUSBY

Boy, here's a can of worms I can relate to. I share in your pain!
I have to ask you 1st, is this a new cart.? What was your previous cartridge and setting. Is Benz broken in? Is the Benz a recommended match for your arm?
Now I can ramble...
There are many variables that dictate what loading works best. I've had a big learning curve on this one. Benz's own Lukaschek phono preamp is set at 22K. I have a Benz LP and had a Ruby2. For a long time they were run at 470 ohms, only cause it was a fixed setting. Every time I tried a different SS phonostage and tried loading at 47K or 1000 ohms it was horrific. I even had a XOno in my system a long time ago. Then I tried a tubed unit and use 47K or 1000 most often. My room is brutal on HF so it took many cable trials and phono preamps to find a good match. I'm still looking.
I would try changing either the XOno-preamp interconnect in combination with alternative load settings, 1000 or 475 will probably be the best. No one ever really explained, or was able to explain to me what happens sonically when you add/remove resistance in a cart. circuit. I always assumed that increasing the loading would be better for me since it reduced HF output. What no one explained to me was it also reduces the bass and the overall signal output. I noticed the same effect when I had a resistor placed on a 2nd set of ouputs on my DAC cause it was a bit "hot" for my preamp. In my case reducing treble seemed like the way to go but doing that killed the bass as well making the HF seem worse. But then again, reducing the loading only worked with a non SS phonostage, and I use all SS! If the Benz is a different cart. for you, you may need to play with VTA/VTF.

Thanks for all your responses.

In response to a few...

My current M2 has relatively few hours but it is my second one on my Basis 2001 so I should have VTA/VTF dialed in. VTA is as near to level as possible. VTF is about 1.9 grams. I don't dial in anti-skating force on my Rega RB-300. The XOno is new to me. I used to have an ARC PH3. On the PH3 I loaded the M2 at 22K, which was nice. On the XOno such high loading is nasty, way too bright, like a bad 80's pop music CD. So, the tube unit and the solid state unit are different regarding loading. Don't know why but it's true.

I'm sure many will think Rega 300 arm on a Basis 2001 with Pass Labs and ARC amps is a weak link. I'm open to affordable suggestions.

Keep your 300 until you can spring for a serious arm. The Basis Vector ought to be in your cross hairs.

"The better the cart. the lower the loading."

Pure audio genius.