Sumiko Blackbird, Shindo and EAR

Ggavetti, shouldn't the Blackbird be connected into the MM input? The Blackbird is a high output MC that is designed to be connected to an MM input with 47KOhm loading and lower gain.

From the Stereophile review:

Like the Sumiko Blue Point Special, it lacks a body around the generator, and its highish output of 2.5mV means that it can be used with a standard moving-magnet phono preamp.

Are your running the Blackbird directly into your MM input on the Monbrison?

Play it where it sounds the best.

Well - most likely a cartridge that is designed for a 47KOhm load and 40dB gain cannot sound good into a 20 Ohm load and 66dB gain.

The Shindo MC input really only works well with a handful of cartridges (Shindo SPU and Miyabi).

Good catch, Restock. The review says that "it CAN be used with MM..." My interpretation is that one does not have MC, he can use MM. But let me try it with MM and I will let you know how it does.

That usually means you could use it into a MC input with a gain of say 55dB and a loading in the several KOhm range. In this case the 20 Ohm load of the Shindo could almost damage the cartridge as this is way below the internal impedance of the Blackbird (which is 180 Ohm). It should sound worlds better with the MM input.

Ggavetti, glad to hear the MM is improving the sound.

One more correction:
The Shindo MC input by its nature is designed for very low impedance
cartridges (examples are the Miyabi and Shindo SPU), but of course these
two are not the only ones. There are some other low impedance carts that
may work as well (Dynavector, Lyra, Ortofon, etc.).

And of course you could use external step-ups like the Auditorium 23 or
Cinemag with the Shindo MM to increase the number of cartridges that work
with the Monbrison.

Rene

Very interesting, Restock...are you basically saying that you do not think the blackbird optimizes the capabilities of the shindo? thanks.

Ggavetti, the Blackbird should work well into the MM input (as it is a high output MC which is designed for MM inputs).

Of course there are always better and more resolving cartridges out there at almost any pricepoint. If going the low output MC route, I would use the internal MC in the Monbrison or external step-ups connected to the MM input to match the cartridge best. Overall I tend to like low output MC cartridges more, but matching a right step-up to the cartridge is more of an art form than a science and can become quite involving.

The Monbrison does have an excellent phono stage built in and it certainly would improve even further with higher resolving cartridges.