I have joined in the ZYX Family

Assuming you’re not using stepup transformers, the optimum impedance for a LO (.24mv) ZYX will usually fall somewhere between 50 and 200 ohms. The ideal value will vary from system to system, since it depends on the electrical characteristics of the tonearm cable, phono cable and other components

If you are using step-up transformers, I’ll need to know your step-up (turns) ratio or gain (in db) to make a recommendation. MC’s are extremely sensitive to impedance loading when the signal is going into a step-up, so more experimentation will be required."

This statement is misleading. MC cartridges are not sensitive to transformers, its the other way around- transformers are sensitive to MC cartridges. How it works is a transformer **transforms** impedance. So if your cartridge is 10 ohms, the output impedance of the transformer will be twice what it is if the cartridge is 5 ohms.

The loading required by the transformer will be different for each cartridge used. This is to prevent the transformer from ringing (which causes harmonic distortion so it is important if you want to hear what's really going on).

If the transformer is not loaded at all, or too lightly, it may not even express its turns ratio at its output- instead it can express its inter-winding capacitance, acting like a poor coupling cap with bad frequency response!! 

chakster, for $8500 I would also try to return to life Miyabi but

there are also Miyabi's in disquise under Levinson's and Krell's

names for much less money. Besides those are the ''real Miyabi's.

If you are using step-up transformers, I’ll need to know your step-up (turns) ratio or gain (in db) to make a recommendation. MC’s are extremely sensitive to impedance loading when the signal is going into a step-up, so more experimentation will be required."

I’m just curious as to why you said loading does not make a difference with the 4D, and with low ouput MC cartridges with low internal impedance in general.

I do find it interesting that Nakatsuka-San chose 125 ohms for his head amp, as I had tried different options for my Allnic phono stage, listened with my ears, and settled on 117 ohms. I was pretty close. I am curious as to why he choose such a specific value of 125 ohms, and not, for example, 400 ohms? Is it possible there is a difference and he thinks that a higher loading value such as 400 ohms would be detrimental to the sound? Or could he have picked 400 ohms because, like you say, it makes no difference?

The fact that some audiophiles say that loading does not make a difference is anecdotal. I’m not dogmatic and can be convinced to their point of view, but I would point out that there are many audiophiles, and they seem to be in the majority, who claim to hear a difference with different loading options with their low output MC cartridges (this is of course also anecdotal) . This includes me and many other people here on Audiogon and elsewhere.

Here’s one thing that is troubling me with respect to your opinion that loading does not make a difference with the 4D. A couple of reviewers have written that loading makes a difference when using ZYX Universe cartridges, which if I recall correctly have the same internal impedance and output as the 4D. Myles Astor wrote, " Cartridge loading seemed best between 100 and 180 ohms into Doshi phono stage." Arthur Salvatore uses a Universe and reviewed the phono stage that I am currently using. He wrote: “the CSPS is only meant to be used with low output MC cartridges …. when my initial MC loading was set too low, … the sound was ‘dead’ for a while. Once I raised the setting one and then, later, two clicks up, that ‘problem’ completely disappeared. The lesson here is obvious; always experiment yourself to find the optimum setting.”

Food for thought.

Dear chakster, I see you as my ''young Slavic brohter''. Also as

a younger forum member. I own, as I stated, this TRX 2 with

beryllium cantilever.  I also own TRX 2 with saphire cantilever

(NOS). In the user manual of the beryllium kind beryllium is

described as ''improvement'' of the saphire kind. Who then mixed

what up? I am in this hobby for more as 40 years . I put some

arguments forward which you usualy avoid to answer. Those who

care to read your and my post should judge about our arguments.

As you know Slavic brothers like to tease each other. More in

particular the younger one. Those are who need to learn and not

pretend to know better. You should follow my example not Raul's

(grin).

Dear chakster, ''my friend Nandric said million times...'' As anybody

can see Nandric wrote ''only''  2801 contributions in this forum(grin).

I think that enthusiasm and exaggeration go hand in hand. But with

your ''encyclopedic'' knowledge of (carts) names and numbers I

am surprised , first, with you confession to have never heard TRX

2 as well that you don't know that the newest TRX 2 got beryllium

 cantilever. This fact  is mentioned as ''improvement'' against the

 ''old model''. Next to the  ''wrong'' (Raul) JVC X1-mk 2 my best MM

cart. ''Oldschool (young) Nakatsuka san '' used back than better

material for both: the body as well for the  cantilevers(grin).

 What kind of admirer are you? You friend Nandric is ''loaded'' with

 Ikeda's stuff even the new 9 TT included. And, speaking about

admiration. To my big surprise some Chinese party leader stated

the following reg. the question why they still honor Mao: ''We learned

 from  Russian experience. Since they abandoned Stalin they are in

declain''. Your pesimistic opininon regarding Russian future looks

as a kind of affirmation of the Chinese assertion (grin).

BTW would it make sense to glue one additional ''boron tube''

(which are not produced at present) on the boron rod (which is in

limited supply) in the context of the reduction of the moving mass

by the moving parts in an MC cart? Entusiasm may also go hand in

hand with cotradictions (grin).

 Its surprising how well the ZYX sounds in spite of the cheapie looking plastic casing

Dear chakster,

1. premise : all exotic cantilevers are brittle (boron,saphire and

beryllium). Because of this property  they will shatter if one

would try to pressure fit a stylus in them.

2. premise : the advantage of aluminum as cantilever material is

that a stylus can be pressure fitted such that an better connection

can be reached between both parts. Something to do with ''rigidity''.

To put this otherwise: glue between stylus and cantilever is not

a good idea in the mentioned sense: rigidity.

How difficult is it to deduce conclusion from those two premises?

Is it possible that this genius solution which nobody considered

is a piece of aluminum tube in which the stylus is pressure fitted.

In addition this may explain whay no glue can be seen. However

do you have the right to call your cantilever ''boron'''. There is

an aluminum tube behind the boron part and also in front of

the boron part (aka ''the nose''). Those are two versus one.

Now the Technics 205 styli kinds. I am not sure if I used quantor

''all'' or ''most''. Anyway I said nothing about oher kinds.

I hope I used the expression ''most'' such that your sample or

samples by coincidence have had good suspension.

I owned two 205 mk 3 styli neither of which could be fixed by

Axel nor by the guy from the ''styli clinic''(?). The difference was

that Axel charged nothing but this American charged $100.

BTW my intention was exactly ''the same'' as Don's: to warn

my co-members.

Dear don_c 55, I am sorry for my assumption. I thought that all

participants in this thread bought some or other ''cart of the month''

which are (the most) from the 80is. There were few exceptions which

were in NOS state. The most however were used so , I assume,

those should be count as second hand. There are people who

prefer new things but also people who are fond about antiques.

For those who intend to buy whatever ZYX kind your information

is very important. Even for the ''brand new'' samples (grin).

I myself would never buy a cart with defective coils. The reason

is that nobody is willing to mess with coils.

Raul, I think, introduced the expression ''refurbishing''. Like his

other ''concepts'' inscrutable. He never explained what this

means. Reasoning from the ''concept'' what can be fixed or

improved by a cart we think such things like retip (both kinds),

new suspensin and/or better suspension. I don't believe that

anybody proposed magnets change. The coils are, say, only

theoretical possibility.

All exotic cantilevers can’t be pressure fitted with

whatever stylus so the stylus need to be glued in such cantilevers.

See our cantilever discussion with J. Carr. Your pretentions by

far exceed your knowledge. We already have had such dispute

about Technics 205 styli suspension failure which you deny but

never provided any proof except your own convinction.

Dear chakster, I own the same Airy 3 which is retipped by Axel

with his own combo of boron cantilever and nude Shibata.

According to him the Original stylus was mediocre. If you look

at the boron ''nose'' you can see that one additional tube with

stylus is glued above the cantilever. This is an additional tube

becausse one more aluminum kind is in the nose of the moving

parts(aka)  stylus/cantilever, coils and the part on which the coils

are glued. All exotic cantilevers can't be pressure fitted with

whatever stylus so the stylus need to be glued in such cantilevers.

See our cantilever discussion with J. Carr.  Your pretentions by

far exceed your knowledge. We already have had such dispute

about Technics 205 styli suspension failure which you deny but

never provided any proof except your own convinction. But you

own many of those which you want to sell. Mentionig Axel as

argument is very curious. He as my friend was not able to fix my

205 stylus but well for the to him totally unknown chakster.

Before you can teach others you need to learn the trade first.

As novice you, alas, need to have much more patience.

But as I stated before you start to look like  your model Raul.

First of all all manufacturer get their cantilever/styli combos ready made by their supplier.

Skills and age. We probably assume that the older people get the

more problems with their mental and physical capabilities.

Does this apply for skills? We have Van den Hul who at age

of above 70 keeps his skills in good condition by producing at

least one cart pro week. As is known his customers can order

whatever output they want. This means winding the coil wire

on those very small ''bobins'' differently. We have Axel the retipper

who is above 70 but got so many orders that he was not able

to accept all the work. We have the old master Mori san who

designed XL series MC carts for Sony. He make those SAS styli

for Jico which involve tension wire for MM carts. Those are more

difficult then MC tension wire. Technics 205 series  styli are

irreparable because ot those tension wire. To exchage their

 suspension the tension wire need to be removed but it can't

be put back. We also have Allaerts who make his own coils from

 very thin gold wire. Look at the pictires of his coils to get ''the

picture''.  Everyone who owns an ''open MC cart'' can see how

 thin those coil wire are. Who would dear to touch them? But it is

 impossible to wound those coils without touching  them.  The

 answer is  continious practice in order to keep the involved

skills in good condition. We all have the so called ''motor

 cortex'' in our brain. This part  with further brain connection

govern our muscles. Our fingers in particular. Looking at ''Pieta''

made by Michelangelo from a block of marble with chisels and

hamers. One can hardly believe that this work of art is made

with human hands. This context of skills may explain why we admire

 old masters like Ikeda, Takeda, Sugano, Van den Hul , Lukatschek

(Benz) etc.