Phono Preamp loading for Hanna EL

Yeah, start high. A lot are 47k standard. This will be dynamic, fast, extended, and detailed. But it may be a little too hot or edgy on top. If so this is called ringing, only in this case its electrical, and reduced by loading the cartridge down with a lower impedance. Sounds backwards to load down by decreasing resistance, but that's because the load in this case is current. The lower impedance requires more current and since current output is fixed it changes the sound to a bit softer, more rounded and full as opposed to sharp and fast. This can sound fabulous in the right amount, but taken too far can become dark and lifeless. So you just try one, then another, and go with whatever sounds best to you.

You could try the cart specs as a starting point (sounds crazy I know).  >400 ohms

What is internal resistance of Hana EL? I would start with 47K and go down from there in increments but not lower than 10X the internal resistance. That’s a rule of thumb.

I should have added that probably the internal resistance of the Hana cartridge is about 40 ohms, which is why they recommend a load of greater than 400 ohms, in keeping with the rule of thumb I mentioned. 

@lewm 

I should have added that probably the internal resistance of the Hana cartridge is about 40 ohms, which is why they recommend a load of greater than 400 ohms, in keeping with the rule of thumb I mentioned.

Close.  It's 30 ohms.  So agreed.

My options are
• 100
• 200
• 475
• 1000 K• 47 K
Just wonder if going to 100 would be a issue..Causing some sort of nuclear meltdown.,

Also curious about getting a tonearm lifter. Any suggestions on a good tonearm lifter?

Tru Lift for the tonearm lifter. Pricey, but well made.

I have a Hana SL, I settled on 825 ohms.

There is absolutely no danger of a nuclear meltdown or any other untoward incident, if you insist upon trying the 100-ohm load option.  At 100 ohms, using a cartridge with a 30-ohm internal resistance, a good fraction of the voltage output of the cartridge will be diverted to ground and never make it into the phono stage.  In other words, there will be an apparent loss of total gain, compared to using a load of 475 ohms or anything above that.  If the gain of your phono stage is marginal for the output of your cartridge, you will not like that. In addition, the response of the cartridge will not be perfectly linear at very high frequencies; there will be a roll-off that may or may not occur within the audio frequency range. Whether you will hear that or not is a matter of your hearing acuity and etc.  Some folks deliberately "cure" a cartridge or the system of excessive brightness by deliberately selecting a relatively heavy load (low input resistor value).  I personally would not ever do that; I'd try to start out with components that don't irritate.  In my already stated opinion, you would be best off with the 475, 1000, or 47K ohm options.

I would agree with you. I think I’m going to try the 1000 K . I just might try the 47 K as well. My system is a bit dated..My main speakers are Legacy Focus That I have owned since 1998. 

Why is that “dated”? They’re probably still excellent speakers. 

Your ears, not others, should determine what is "best"

Yes they are wonderful speakers. And that’s why I can’t part with them. In my opinion the current version,
( legacy Focus SE ) I’m quite confident at the price point there are few loudspeakers that could compete with these speakers. 
Any feedback on legacy speakers would be interesting.

I would have to add that dealing with Bill Dudlesten and his wife Victoria has been a absolutely wonderful experience.There are very few people in your lifetime you will meet like Bill and Victoria...

I tried various settings.  A bit over 400 seems the best in my system.  Some people seem to like it at 1000 though.

But it may be a little too hot or edgy on top. If so this is called ringing, only in this case its electrical, and reduced by loading the cartridge down with a lower impedance

@millercarbon  This statement is only true if its a high output cartridge. The EL is low output and ringing is not why it can sound bright. Ringing at audio frequencies is not a problem with low output cartridges.


The reason is RFI generated by the inductance of the cartridge in parallel with the capacitance of the tonearm cable. This creates a resonant peak which could be a few 100KHz up to a couple of MHz. The peak (which can be 30dB!) is driven into excitation by the energy of the cartridge (it does not have to be at the peak's resonant frequency to do so) and if the preamp doesn't like RFI at its input, it can sound bright (and may generate ticks and pops that sound for all the world as if they are on the surface of the LP, but are actually the result of overload).

The recommended loading is only an approximation. This is because the cable capacitance can't be known in advance. If the preamp is designed with the understanding that there will be a peak at its input in the manner described, no loading will be needed as it will not sound bright. 47K is actually a standard in this regard.


This all goes out the window if a high output cartridge is used. In such a case the inductance is high enough that the resonant peak is much lower in frequency (and usually also in amplitude) and the cartridge can also ring at audio frequencies- this requires that to operate properly, the cartridge will have to see some sort of load. For more seehttp://www.hagtech.com/loading.html

I use mine at between 400 and 475 and I think that range is the ideal range for the hana el. It sounds, at least to me, more balanced at those settings. I’d go by the 10x internal impedance as a reference point, which happens to be 30 ohms. I would save 47k ohms for a high output MC or MM. The hana el is the bargain of the century in phono cartridges imo. Alnico magnets, excellent tracker, low output moving coil, and beautiful to look at, all for $475. I’m sure the SL and the ML are fantastic as well, but to me this el is the treasure of the bunch and blows away anything at the price.

The hana el is the bargain of the century in phono cartridges imo. Alnico magnets, excellent tracker, low output moving coil, and beautiful to look at, all for $475. I’m sure the SL and the ML are fantastic as well, but to me this el is the treasure of the bunch and blows away anything at the price.

One of my employees uses that cartridge and loves it. Tracks anything on his Triplanar.