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Impedance Loading for SS Hyperion

"470 - 1000Ω" says Peter Ledermann. My phono stage offers 400. 800, 1,200. so I used 400 initially (extremely smooth), decided 800 was better (some edge present) and 1.2k even better still. There is one higher setting allowed for the MC input (along with several lower ones), 47k. So I’m trying it, and I like it. I keep swapping to the London Reference I am comparing the Hyperion to, and it seems the higher the impedance loading, the closer they sound. I am not experiencing the "peaked high end" I was warned of if loading is increased over 1000Ω.

Maybe my half a remaining ear (thanks, streptomycin!) simply can’t hear the cartridge screeching. Might work for others with high frequency loss? I think the issue is that I have a powered sub that is making sure I hear some bass whatever the loading is set to. If I turn it off the Quad 2905 speakers alone don't sound as if I'm listening to the full range of sound. Perhaps I should set the loading without the sub, and then do my usual procedure of setting the sub volume so I cannot tell that it is switched on, but all the same things sound better?

dogberry

Showing 4 responses by dover

dover
2,353 posts
 

ChatGPT, others, and listening to the different settings, all point to 47k ohms.  Set yours to your preference.  I do not tell other people how to drink their whiskey. 

But you just did.

ChatGPT, others, and listening to the different settings, all point to 47k ohms

The designer and manufacturer of the Soundsmith cartridges recommends the following

Hyperion ( early ) 470-1000 homs

Hyperion ES greater than or equal to 470 ohms.

Chat GP is great for finding out how men can have babies, not so much for audio.

Of course you are correct in that folk can do whatever they want. high end audiophiles have a proclivity for knowing more than the designer. I recall a customer who insisted on driving Apogees with Luxman flee power valve mono amplifiers.

It ended up with an early Guy Fawkes celebration, but , hey , he reckoned it sounded great for the short period it ran.

 

 

dover
2,353 posts
 

@markalarsen 

You changed my mind.  After switching them back and forth on the same song, I settled on 1000 ohms. 47K seemed to have a slight sibilance.  

That's where I ended up.

dover
2,353 posts
 

@atmasphere 

Any brightness is usually not the fault of the cartridge so loading will not fix it. IOW If loading does fix the brightness, the cartridge wasn't the problem.

The phono section is.

This is because any LOMC cartridge generates RFI due to the cartridge's very low inductance, in parallel with the tonearm cable capacitance. That sets up an RF peak (usually 1-5MHz) which can oscillate, generating RFI up to 30dB higher than the cartridge signal level, injected directly into the phono section input! 

Whilst I agree with your statement, both the Decca and Soundsmith are MI, not MC.

Therefore loading changes affect the frequency response ( and phase ) to a far larger degree than a LOMC, and as far as I know the frequency changes with MI from both resistive and capacitive occur within the audible range. Is that not correct ?

dover
2,353 posts
 

@atmasphere 

Thanks. I have run the low output through Soundsmith's own phono and changes from say 800 to 1000 ohms with that phono were quite audible. You are saying this is the phono or phono/cable combo.

Decca is another story but I have set up probably north of 30-40 over the years - usually run at around 22k.

Thank you for the explanation.

 

 

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