I use a Cardas Heart which is a variation of the Ruby. Cardas(a serious vinyl fanatic) says: "A well seasoned cartridge will perform well at a very high impedance of 47-100k, if the system is quiet. A lower impedence of 1-5k works if the system tends to hum or the cartridge is not broken-in." He also recommends a higher tracking force initially. VTA is obviously very important. Trying to tone control each record, especially the likes of pop records like Abby Road(albeit a favorite) is possible but not of reference relevence. There may be other arm resonance issues contributing to harshness as well.
Questions about a new Ruby 2 cartridge
Just purchased a new Ruby 2 and it sounds lean and somewhat bright out of the box. Currently have it set at 47K, any ideas on break in time and loading. How about those cartridge break in boxes, are they worth the investment? System: VPI Aries,JMW arm, Klyne phono,AR pre,Rowland amp, Vandersteen 5 speakers, Hovland phono cable, other wire all Discovery. Thanks for any help, always a little disconcerting when you spend 3K and the sound is lacking.