Empire EDR9 cart into Lehmann Audio Decade phono preamp, sounds awful

47K for that cartridge!

Empire EDR 9 Stereo Moving-Magnet Cartridge Manual | Vinyl Engine

What yogi boy said. For goodness sakes! Also set gain for MM not MC.

How do I set gain for MM not MC on Lehmann Audio Decade? I only see MC toggle. Is MM on when MC is off?

Heh, what a confusing interface. The phono sound quality for MC is absolutely amazing, but it's so hard to get the MM stage to work properly.

Who came up with such terrible user experience? Do the Lehmann designers secretly wish customers would only use MC carts?

Do you have an owner or user manual? If not, you can probably get one from Lehmann or any of several other sources on line.  Then read it. (Sorry for the sarcasm.)

The manual is available here. Looks straight forward once you know where everything is.

https://www.lehmannaudio.com/downloads.html

I've just installed Empire EDR9 cartridge on my Jelco SA-750E 10 inch tonearm, and connected it to my Lehmann Audio Decade phono preamp. The sound I got from this cartridge is shockingly bad. Dull, wimpy, limp, barely any highs or any slam or body.

I have set my Lehmann Audio Decade phono to work beautifully with my modded Denon DL-103 cartridge. I was curious to hear how would Empire EDR9 compare to DL-103, but it sounds so ridiculously bad, that it's not really worth comparing.

My Lehmann Decade is set to 100 ohms (seems to work fine for DL-103). I haven't touched the capacitance.

What am I doing wrong? I can't believe that Empire EDR9, which has a pretty hot reputation in audio circles, would sound so horrible.

I already explained this to you over on Vinyl Engine!!! What?? You can’t read??? I even posted the settings you need to use!! So now you post in here the same damn question????

36 dB gain, 100 pF, 47k ohm. This is SO NOT HARD!!!

SMH

I was gonna apologize for my sarcasm, than along comes Wolfie.  I'd be interested to hear a very fine MM cartridge try to drive a 100 ohm load.  That must be something.

Dear @crazybookman  : It looks like you have very low audio knowledge levels and not only for what you posted here and in VE but because the fact that you bougth through Amazon two pairs of IC cables for your system at 35.00 each pair: WBC.

The EDR .9 was the latest Empire top of the line and very good quality performer in the rigth audio system enviroment. It's a cartridge with nothing to shames on playback.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.

If I had high audio knowledge levels I wouldn't have the need to ask the questions here, would I?

Forget about it. You learned something even in the midst of the criticism.  You might benefit from reading some of the various books or papers that will enlighten you further.  None of us knows all there is to know on the subject.  Meantime, I hope you are enjoying your new cartridge as a result of your inquiry.

@crazybookman

Good point!