Channel D Lino C vs. Sutherland Little Loco

I have a Lino C for over a year. And I have not compare it with the Little Loco. Both are trans- impedance  phono stages in very similar price range.

There is on feature of the Lino C which I would like to highlight. It is a battery operated device unlike the Little Loco. As soon as the stylus hits the vinyl, the charging mechanism is disengaged. And one can listen for 24 hours on a full charge. 15 - 20 minutes after a listening session, the charging mechanism kicks in. The charging design works flawless. 

However, I use a Trans - Fi Terminator linear tracking tonearm. The phono cable runs nude from cartridge to phono. As the cable is unshielded, the charging mechanism will not kick in. The shielding solution proves elusive thus far. I need to manually unplug the cable after each listening. I doubt this will be an issue for 95% of you. But it is an issue with me. 

I, too, would be interested in hearing comparison between the two phono stages. 

@ilaz  Currently a Audio Tekne MC 6310, internal impedance: 2 ohm, output : 0.1 mV, is in use. I pair the Linco C with a Lightspeed Passive Attenuator. The gain on the Lino C is set to +12db ( max setting ) which translate to gain in the high 70’s dB. I find with my set up I have to the max gain setting.

The sound with the newly installed MC 6310 is frankly the best from vinyl by far. The soundstage is wide and deep. The instruments within the sound stage have snapped into place. I now know what is meant by the ‘air ’ between instruments.  It is sense of 3 dimensional volume, a kind of ‘halo’, that has emerged around each instrument. This is especially evident on acoustical jazz albums, both multi- instrumental bands or small quartets. Albums that have been played for thirty years have now revealed their true nature. This vinyl experience is set against the previous cartridge, the ZYX Ultimate 100, internal impedance: 4 ohm, output: 0.24 mV. In retrospect the ZYX is / was very good for the money. The Audio Tekne is a step above. The much lower internal impedance is meant to work better with the Lino C. And you hear it.

My sense right now is that the Lino C will keep step with even higher quality cartridges, especially of the low internal impedance kind. And that is how is should be paired. If you follow Framer’s reviews, he has lamented on several occasions that most with the means to acquire ultra  expensive, low impedance cartridges will mostly likely not use a Lino C. And he thought that was a shame. This is coming from a guy who owns a CH Precision, among others!

@ilaz 
How exciting!
Rob is super responsive. We spoke a couple of time over the phone. And he walked me through a few impasses when I thought I was in over my head with the new toy. 

Do share your listening experience when you are all set up.

@ ilaz,  I am curious to know if the Lino C has been delivered and operational? A brief summary would be appreciated.

@ Mikld,  There is an additional issue to consider with this phono stage. The battery pack is best used under 80 Fahrenheit degree. In my part of the world, we are over 85 Degrees almost five months per year. I wrote to Rob about this, and the hot weather will shorten the life span of the battery, although the 2.2 version has an additional mechanism to allow the battery to tolerate  higher temperature. 

During the past two listening sessions, my three month old cartridge suddenly clicked into place. Within the span of a single side of a record, the music came to life. The sense of a 'holographic' sound-stage deepened, the low mid and upper bass regions have solidified even more than before, and the sense of hearing into a 'live' venue has intensified. Granted it is the synergy of the cartridge and the phono-stage at work. But to experience a 'sudden' jump in Sound quality is a new experience to me as the  usual cartridge break in is a gradual process for me. No desire for the near future to experience anything except other LOMCs with low internal impedance into a trans-impedance phono-stage. 

@ chakster I know you have been  long time advocate of the virtues of MM's and NOS MC's. And I do recall coming across  threads where you mentioned 47 Labs electronics, but did not know until now it included their current mode phono stage. I have a few questions:
1. Have you heard other current mode phonos?
2. Do the current mode phono exhibit less of a sonic signature?
3. Vis-a-vis your arsenal of MMs', how does a LOMC through a current mode phono compare?
4.  For a MM guy, why did you venture into current mode phono territory?

I know these are very generalized questions, but would appreciate some feedback.

BTW, I had been interested recently in a ZYX Ulitmate Dynamic, .15 mv output with a 12 ohm internal impedance. Rob Robinson, the designer of Lino C, claims that it would be compatible. However, i use a passive preamp and would be a bit concerned with not enough gain.

@saburo Thank you for your cartridge recommendations. ZYX U Optimum is a bit out of my range. When I had the Ultimate 100, the ZYX dealer recommended a Ultimate Omega as the next jump in SQ. The Benz Ebony TR is new to me.
Correct me if I am wrong, but you have owned both a early Lino and a BMC MCCI and you feel the BMC to be a step above? Would you elaborate?

@chakster Many thanks for you detailed reply. I have completely misrepresented, and severely underestimated your extensive collections of MM and MC. The MC list you posted will be a guide to me. Though I am curious, there are a few in the list, EMT in particular, with internal impedance in the teens, I think there is another in the twenty’s range. They work with the 47 Labs unit? 

@kingrex Is your LinoC 3.3 the ‘basic’ one input version without any of the options, e.g. mono switch, polarity inversion, MM input....etc? If so, than the 3.3 is almost half price of the Loco. And you have come away saying they are comparable!

I have a LinoC 2.2. And I have been speaking to Rob about upgrading for over a year. And apparently there are some production problems now so he has suspended delivery of new units as well as upgrades. 

Your compare between the 3.3 and other voltage mode phono are very informative, especially your comment on the Rada unit. It was something that I had been interested in, and good to know that you considered it top of the voltage heap. Thanks!

 

@500homeruns Battery life is  '3 - 5 years ( or more ) ' according to Channel D web- site and manual. My Lino C 2.2 was bought in 2020-21 and the battery is still fine with 5-6 hours of continous use. I was told to keep it away from direct sun light. During the summer months, my room would heat up to 33 degree celsius when not listening to music which is not good for battery life. But so far, the heat has not affected the performance of the battery. A replacement battery is aroung $50. 

@lewn There is a self charging mechanism in the Lino C 2.2. The unit kicks into charging mode after ten minutes of not receiving an audio signal. A fully charged battery takes several hours and should be good for 20 hours of listening, so really no need for a warning trigger.