What would you guys do, if you liked a LOMC, would you get a SUT and phono, or if you liked a phone like Aesthetix IO Sig, get a higher output cartridge instead of the LOMC so that the IO exhibits less noise
I've heard the IO Sig with a Koetsu Coralstone and a Air Tight supreme at a buddies. With the right tubes...it can do .2mv very well.
I do suspect life is easier however with a .5mv...lots of good options out there (Lyra and ClearAudio for example). I would not put a SUT in front of the IO...part of its charm is all tube.
Yes so you could use a Lyra Etna into a IO. But if you liked the Zyx Uni P more, would you still go with an IO or take another phonostage, or what is more important, keep the IO and go Zyx Uni P (for example), or the Jan Allaerts you had which I think is quite low output?
What would you guys do, if you liked a LOMC, would you get a SUT and phono, or if you liked a phone like Aesthetix IO Sig, get a higher output cartridge instead of the LOMC so that the IO exhibits less noise
This is the same kind of decision one makes for speakers, do you get a sensitive easy to drive pair or go with something that needs a power plant to come to life? That choice also determines which phono you can/must buy now don't compound restrictions with a phono lacking enough gain for your system.
SUTs are a whole another subject, it's a personality altering tool like any other component it can be used to great effect or to the detriment of your sound.
david
What would you guys do, if you liked a LOMC, would you get a SUT and phono, or if you liked a phone like Aesthetix IO Sig, get a higher output cartridge instead of the LOMC so that the IO exhibits less noise
So what good SUTs for Ortofon a95, Zyx type carts?
Ortofon's own ST-80 works great with the A95 & other Ortofon cartridges as does Jensen. Each SUT will give you a different flavor and I like both!
david
So you don't lose any Lamm magic if you put these ahead of the Lamm?
So you don't lose any Lamm magic if you put these ahead of the Lamm?
Not at all!
david
The OP presents a question that I am pondering right now. My current tube based phono stage limits me to cartridges that are appx 0.35 mv or above. So, many cartridges are out...However, there are still some excellent choices available and the difference in cost to me by dumping my current phono stage ( which also happens to be part of my preamp..a CAT) is not one that I am going to consider ( well, you know this hobby....probably not going to). Also, just because a cartridge has very low output, doesn't in my books automatically insure that it sounds better than its higher output brethren. Plus, I really like my current tube based phono stage....with the rolled in NOS tubes, its going to be tremendously hard to better.
So you don't lose any Lamm magic if you put these ahead of the Lamm?
i am using the Io with a Lyra Kleos. I'm using attn setting 4 and I am always at or below 50% volume in my Spectral preamp. Any new cartridges will likley be low output 0.2 tp 0.3 and I have no noise concerns.
I use this (Jensen Transformers) with a Lyra Olympos SL mono cart, .15mV output, plugged into the MM input of my phonostage(s). +32dB. It's the same transformer that is direct coupled in my Lamm LP1 Sig phono stage for the hi gain MC selection. Dead quiet, neutral sounding and a real sonic bargain.
http://www.cs1.net/products/jensen_transformers/MC-2RR.htm
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