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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
karl_desch's avatar
karl_desch
456 posts
 

With my Hyperion ES MK II, I use 500 ohm or 47 k ohm.  With the Pass XP-27, I just don’t hear a big difference. For fun, I can load it below 480 and then we start loosing some Hyperion magic. 

markalarsen's avatar
markalarsen
718 posts
 

The Hyperion ES MK II is not a MC cartridge. 47k ohm is correct. 

dogberry OP
798 posts
 

The manufacturer suggests 470 - 1000 ohms.

markalarsen's avatar
markalarsen
718 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. 

dover
2,318 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.

 

 

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