Optimal loading for the Orpheus

Raul,what cartridge(s) would you say is an upgrade from the Temper V

I don't see why (and apparently neither does Mr. Yoshioka) with today's very powerful magnets that there's any advantage to making a lo-output MC cartridge (meaning anything less than .4 mV.)

When magnets were weaker and you needed more coil windings (than you do today) to produce output, settling for really lo-output in order to reduce coil weight and increase transient response made some sense. But even then, there were trade-offs. Hi-gain phono preamps and/or step-up transformers were needed to boost the weak signal; and both of those devices defeated the benefit of the lighter coil assembly's better transients, to some degree.

It didn't surprise me, therefore, that with the introduction of the Orpheus, Yoshioka-san has abandoned the very lo-output model. Why bother? With the coil literally immersed in a "bath" of magnetic flux provided by the ring magnet design, a coil that produces .4mV (actually .65 mV using the CBS standard) won't need as many windings as in times past!

To answer Tim's question, I don't recall reading any direct comparisons of the Temper V vs. W with all else being equal. I would guess any perceived difference would be due more to having to drive the phono preamp harder with the V in order to match the volume to the W ;-)
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Dear OEM: MC: Allaerts MC2 Finish ( but you need a very good Phonolinepreamp with enough active high gain ( no step-up transformer ), Dyna XV-1, Ortofon MC 7500, Van denHul Colibri ( the very low output models ) and MM: Nagaoka MP-50, B&O MMC1/2, Audio technica ATML 170/180, Grado The Amber Tribute, Astatic MF-100.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

I'm glad I caught this thread
Rauliruegas,I would appreciate your opinion on which of the cartridges you mention would work well with a Basis Vector3
tonearm and 72db phonostage.

Rauliruegas (and Goldeneraguy): A brief history of cartridges in my system...I changed from a Benzmicro Ruby 3 (low output) to the Temper V a couple of years ago. This was a great improvement, particularly in realism/ natural tonality and presentation. Detail was also vastly improved. For the past 2 months, I have had a ZYX UNI in my system, which absolutely SMOKES the Temper V (enough said). Thus, I could not envision a scenario where I would return to the Temper V.

Given i) my original liking for the Temper V, ii) the generally positive reviews and thread dicussion regarding the Orpheus and an expectation/ recomendation (A.J Conti and folks at Oveture Audio) for a good system match of Transfig (I have had all of these to some extent on a Basis 2500 TT with a Vector 4 tonearm), I thought I would move on to the Orpheus (via a trade-in of the V). If YHO is correct (Orpheus underperforms relative to the Temper V), I will settle back and continue to enjoy the stellar ZYX. However, I anticipate (hope) the Orpheus will compete favorably with the ZYX.

Jim