Phono Stage_Skoll-by Schiit Audio

Another tid bit of discovery.  I've been playing around with the gain stages.  I prefer 70 dB of gain over all other settings.  

Yes, you get higher volume, but mids and highs are more pronounced.  It could be a byproduct of my particular set up and equipment selection.

It just sounds better.

Now, I have capacitive loading at 50p.  I'm not well schooled on this setting.  The old C- J unit only had gain and resistive loading.  

Any one have recommendations?

I originally had the loading set to 200 Ohms resistance in the EF-1.  I got some bug to change it, most likely from reading some posts here in regards to loading.....47K (basically unloaded) was not the way to go with a moving coil....  We all live and learn.  Its a fun hobby!

Now, I have capacitive loading at 50p.  I'm not well schooled on this setting.  The old C- J unit only had gain and resistive loading.  

Any one have recommendations?

As it turns out, the old adage to experiment for yourself (i.e. from Eveanna Manley and her staff) may very well be true. Of all people it seems that ever-subjectivist Herb Reichert brought this to the fore recently while experimenting with a Denon 103. https://www.stereophile.com/content/dispelling-myth-about-phono-cartridge-loading

That was a interesting read.  

I'll digest it a bit and read it again.  Thanks for your 2 cents!

It resonates (pun) with my own observations. Adjusting load is very easy with my phono stage and I have two turntables hooked up to it with two very different cartridges installed on each. With changing the load I primarily hear a change in gain but also an increase in distortion as the load goes down towards 47K. Too much loading and the sound becomes sterile and lifeless, too little and the sound becomes helplessly bloated and tubby (and I mean tubby, not tube-y). Somewhere in between the sound is “right”. I listen for a combination of tight bass and depth of sound. Not soundstage but sound.
I think Herb Reichert used the analogy of using an amp that features adjustable negative feedback and reading the description of how the sound changes (depending on the amp) from no negative feedback to high negative feedback the effect is quite similar.

Considering a Skoll. Interested in opinions.

• TT is Thorens TD-1601 with MI cart
• Integrated is Yamaha A-S2200 or 3200.

If I go balanced XLR out of TT to the Skoll and unbalanced RCA unbalanced into the integrated:

• is this a no/no, in general?
• i’m guessing the resulting signal into the integrated will be unbalanced?
• is there benefit of balanced I to the preamp, even if not out the the integrated.

Maybe the core question is: which would be better;

1. TT>XLR>Skoll>RCA>integrated
2. TT>RCA>Skoll>RCA>integrated

PS: I know the integrated has XLR balanced in, but that a question for another day.