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MC loading at 47K

Hi All,

Just after some expert advice from your good selves if I may. My current system is as follows:

Musical Fidelity KW550 intergrated amp which has a MM and MC section, both loaded at 47K. The only difference between them is the step up voltage.

My turntable is the Rega P9 with Ortofon Kontrapunkt A.

Looking at changing my cartridge but honestly cant decide between MM or MC.

My music taste are as follows:

Reggae
Soul
Female Vocal
RNB

No classical or jazz.

So what should I choose based I'm only limited to a 47K loading. I was thinking either of the below:

1. Ortofon Jubilee (MC)
2. Ortofon 2M black (MM)
3. Clear Audio Maestro (MM)

Is there a down side to loading up a MC so much?

Thoughts please...thanks
che13
hifihvn
943 posts
 
Musical Fidelity manual. Specs at end. link[http://www.musicalfidelity.com/downloads/archived-manuals/English/kw550_manual_eng.pdf]
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
Hifihvn,
It has 47K for both MC and MM. Not too many low output MC carts will benefit from being loaded @47k. I would connect a resistor in-parallel when switching to MC. It could be done in any phono unit.
hifihvn
943 posts
 
I put the link there for Lindisfarne, and others to see what the OP has to work with.
dopogue
1,767 posts
 
Some folks including Charles Hansen (Ayre) and the late Allen Wright recommended running all MCs at 47kOhms. I think Harry Pearson (HP) of The Absolute Sound recommended it too (don't know if he still does). I tried it and liked it with a Denon DL-103 although I'm currently running that one at 500 Ohms. I'm not sure but I believe the "thinness" will have to do more with the phonostage than anything else. If Musical Fidelity loads both MMs and MCs at 47K, they must think MCs sound okay that way.
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
I agree with MC at around 100 Ohms. 30 Ohms to 500 Ohms anyway all around for MC.
47K Ohms is really the MM setting.
So if you do not want to worry about the top end being to bright and thin all around, use a MM cart.
PS I have a Benz Glider set at 300 Ohms
My Dynavector is 30 Ohms.
And yes you can use the 47K Ohms with a MC cart without any major issues, and maybe it will sound fine in your setup. but it is not likely. Possible.. but why take the chance you will hate it?
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