Ceramic cartridge phono stage options?


A good friend is wanting to try a ceramic cart on one of his many tables. The biggest issue is finding a phono stage that can handle the carts particular requirements. We have read countless forms post with no real solution other then DYI'ing a phone stage for it. Add to that no one can seem to come to a solid design that more then one person can agree on. 

Do any of you have expedience with ceramic carts and their particular requirements? Is their an off the shelf phono stage for them anywhere out in internet land? 

glennewdick

Showing 3 responses by elliottbnewcombjr

not into Line In, but into MM Phono IN

" The CerMag™ is designed to convert the high output of a ceramic or crystal cartridge to that of a moving magnet cartridge"

It is reducing the signal strength, think opposite of a Step Up Transformer, it is stepping the signal strength down, but RIAA Phono EQ still needs to happen after that, via the Preamp’s MM Phono IN.

"plugged into a conventional phono preamp"

’equalized’ is not the best choice of words by Kevin, he means equalized in strength, not in frequency adjustment as per RIAA curve.

the signals on the LP have been boosted (highs), and Cut (lows) as per RIAA industry curve, so a ceramic cartridge’s ’incoming’ and ’outgoing’ need to be ’riaa equalized’ as well as ’signal strength’ adjusted. 

RIAA 'playback eq' occurs in the MM Phono Stage, to reverse the cuts and boosts that occured during 'recording eq'.

LP stands for Long Play, and Long Play is only achieved by cutting the lows signal strength so the grooves for bass cut into the master are not physically 'wide', thus the grooves can be closer together, increasing the total duration that fits on each side. The boosting of highs is for different reasons.

Line Level is an input, no frequency adjustment occurs, the original signal strength level to amps (before preamps were needed), was 1 volt. 

IF you plug a KAB CERMAG out into a line level in, the highs will still be boosted, and the lows still cut.