+ Reply to Thread
Page 6 of 6 FirstFirst ... 456
Results 51 to 59 of 59

Thread: I’m done with moving coil cartridge hassle

  1. #51
    Join Date: Feb 2008

    Location: Down South

    Posts: 2,413
    I'm Neal.

    Default

    Have any of you tried loading the primary of your SUTs? I think you’ll be surprised.

    Some background info: http://www.rothwellaudioproducts.co....rs_explai.html
    Listening in a Foo free Zone...

    Only a Sith deals in absolutes.

  2. #52
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Norwich

    Posts: 1,064
    I'm Mike.

    Default

    Now I know that Tom has experience in this scenario, but my on-board E.A.R. m/c stages are very good, AND have SUTs within them. From my limited experience the m/m stages are pretty good as well. Having never experimented with an S.U.T., I wonder if i would simply be duplicating, in effect, what I already have. I'm a wee bit sceptical about the benefits of more I/Cs and boxes (despite coming from 25 years of Naim), and I do love the simplicity of everything under one roof (except amplification, that is). However, I've always been a m/c cart. fanatic.
    Last edited by Mike Reed; 02-03-2019 at 08:10.

  3. #53
    montesquieu Guest

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Reed View Post
    Now I know that Tom has experience in this scenario, but my on-board E.A.R. m/c stages are very good, AND have SUTs within them. From my limited experience the m/m stages are pretty good as well. Having never experimented with an S.U.T., I wonder if i would be simply be duplicating, in effect, what I already have. I'm a wee bit sceptical about the benefits of more I/Cs and boxes (despite coming from 25 years of Naim), and I do love the simplicity of everything under one roof (except amplification, that is). However, I've always been a m/c cart. fanatic.
    Tim de P has a whole bunch of different phono stage designs including the all-tube LCR one in the EAR912 (3 tubes), the tube-FET hybrid LCR one in the PB88 and 868 preamp (2 tubes), the CR tube design in the 834P, and the solid state one in the 324 preamp, but all of these are MM stages, in most cases also fronted up by step-up transformers, none of them are direct to MC gain stages.

    My own EAR 912 has four SUT ratios available internally that are similar to (but not quite the same as) Tim's MC4 stand-alone SUT. I added the Miyajima SUTs to the front of mine because the stereo one **just** outperformed the internal one, and the dedicated mono SUT brought something quite distinct to the party. But for most purposes they are absolutely fine and have the huge advantage of being absolutely silent/hum free which can be hard to achieve with an external SUT in many setups.

  4. #54
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Norwich

    Posts: 1,064
    I'm Mike.

    Default

    Nice to know that you still have the 912, Tom, and thanks for your comments. Must admit, I was foxed by the utterly different complexities in loadings as found on the 912, coming from s/s stages. I thought there might be a correlation with internal impedance (of the cart.), but really, it's a case of 'fiddle until it sounds good'. Leaning heavily towards being a listener rather than a tweaker, I tend to simply leave things in the same position unless a record 'shouts' for some adjustment.

    Incidentally, I don't know if yours is a remotely controlled one, but the tiny and impractical control I bought last summer varies between erratic and dead; have never had consistency from it. The battery died soon after receiving it (which I reported). Hardly ever use it, either !

  5. #55
    Join Date: Jan 2013

    Location: Bristol

    Posts: 6,843
    I'm Justin.

    Default

    I think the Trichord Diablo and NCPSU is better than the SLUT (oops) based MC stage in the EAR 868PL.

    At least the Trichord uses decent quality components, which were sadly lacking in the 868.

    I'm not trying to be contentious. I am just staying what I thought/think after owning the EAR. Initially I thought I liked it. But after a while I realised it just wasn't for me. I felt the MC stage verged on the side of dullness. The Trichord is just simply better defined and more engaging.

    It might not be down to Tim's SUT, but rather the fact I never really seem to like phono stages with valves in.

  6. #56
    montesquieu Guest

    Default

    Contrary to some of the misinformation that’s out there (some of it propagated by big name reviewers) both the phono stage and SUT are different designs/specs between the 868pl/88pb on the one hand and the 912 on the other. The 868 has the three settings 4 ohm, 12 ohm and 40 ohm from the old MC3 external SUT. It can tricky to get a decent match with that.

    Though the labelled settings on this and indeed on the 912 (labelled 3,6,12and 40 ohm, further adjustable for overall gain through an interstate transformer enabling a total of 12 setting options) have only an approximate match to cartridge impedance and the best sound as Mike says are best had by fiddling.

    I added external SUTs only partly as the internals can be bettered - might have been worth you trying this Justin as the 868pl phono stage itself is LCR and top notch, if different from the one in the 912 - but also because I had some specific matching needs in my cartridge stable.

  7. #57
    montesquieu Guest

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Reed View Post
    Incidentally, I don't know if yours is a remotely controlled one, but the tiny and impractical control I bought last summer varies between erratic and dead; have never had consistency from it. The battery died soon after receiving it (which I reported). Hardly ever use it, either !
    Missed this bit ... about 2-3 years ago EAR brought out a nice (if, as you say, tiny) metal remote ... my first one went back as it was very flaky. The second works better but is crap in 2 ways - 1) range - I need to lean forward from my usual 4m+ sitting position to something closer to 3m from the preamp for it to work at all, and 2) it's very fierce - the motor moves very quickly so it's hard not to over or undershoot the volume you want. (A common enough issue for preamp remotes, mind you. )

    Actually the original old plastic remote for the EAR 912 that came with mine works much better, I had thought it was broken but turns out I had replaced the duff batteries with equally duff ones. So I didn't need to buy the metal one at all.

  8. #58
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Norwich

    Posts: 1,064
    I'm Mike.

    Default

    Just checked and the battery is flat, Tom. Second in 6 or 7 months (after the supplied one failed within weeks) with virtually no usage. Could be a coincidence but I'll order some more and see how it goes, but so far I've never had a more unreliable remote; for anything ! Very unlike E.A.R. It's also rather expensive at £84 or so !!!!!

  9. #59
    montesquieu Guest

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Reed View Post
    Just checked and the battery is flat, Tom. Second in 6 or 7 months (after the supplied one failed within weeks) with virtually no usage. Could be a coincidence but I'll order some more and see how it goes, but so far I've never had a more unreliable remote; for anything ! Very unlike E.A.R. It's also rather expensive at £84 or so !!!!!
    Batteries in mine (the replacement metal one) are two years old now and still going so yours can't be a healthy one.

    BTW I'm not sure how much Tim De P does these days other than be the front man at shows, day to day it's the younger generation now, not like it was in their old premises when you would see Tim out back with a soldering iron in his hand!

+ Reply to Thread
Page 6 of 6 FirstFirst ... 456

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •