New Audia Flight phono pre amp

[PMCH]

Thanks to fjn04, Don, I was able to try out my new to me, Audia Flight phono pre amp. My cartridge hasn't yet arrived for my VPI Classic 3 TT and Don was a great host and allowed me to demo the AF in his system. I thought it sounded very musical and can't wait to get it into my system. Had a great time doing the demo with Don listening to some great tunes. Thanks Don.

[fjn04]

Same here Paul- Always a pleasure to have great company and music together! Thanks again! -Don

[dinster]

PMCH, I have just about run in my AudiaFlight Phono, got it 2 months ago. Very happy with the sound very accurate top to bottom, quiet as..., fast etc.etc. Just curious what you have done with respect to loading the MC input. Seems the standard choices are bizarre 7,9,10, 30, 90, 100, 980 Ohms. (or something like that.) I have put a custom resistor of 392 Ohms in for my Atlas, and think it is better than 100 Ohms, maybe as good as 980, not really sure yet. It seems that JC suggests that it could be run open 47kOhm! if the phono stage is up to it. Interested in what others have done.

[PMCH]

dinster, with my Lyra Kleos, I actually only tried 2 settings, 100 & 200 Ohm. Since I preffered the 100 Ohm setting over the 200 Ohm setting, I just left it there without raising the setting even more. As you know, switching the setting is a pain since they are in the rear. I do love the sound at 100 Ohm but it is possible I have a case of ignorance is bliss. I am also running XLR cables between the AF and pre amp. l believe I hear and improvement over the RCA connectors but my length of interconnect is 3 m. and I do like the way the XLR locks with my heavier AZ interconnect.

[dinster]

PMCH, thanks for that, I think the dynamics are better with less loading, and I have found it not too difficult to change the loading without removing the phono from the rack, with a small pair of long nosed pliers. It is a pity they didn't supply more of the little plug in circuit boards to which you can solder a resistor of your choice. (I have some more on order.) Jonathan Carr seems to imply that the loading affects the ultrasonic energy. Jim Hagerman's site (Hagerman Technology LLC: Cartridge Loading) has a calculator for MC cartridges, contrary to JC he doesn't think cable capacitance makes any difference? The Kleos has an inductance of 9uH vs the Atlas 11uH, so the loadings should be similar. The Kleos with 100 Ohm loading has a bandwidth of 1.7 MHz, which I'm sure is high enough
I find it all a bit confusing, I spent the first 2 months at 100 Ohm, then audiophilia nervosa set in and I started fiddling. Incidentally, it must have been 980 Ohm vs 100 Ohm that you tried, because there is no 200 Ohm option on the AudiaFlight. I am also running balanced, but only about 60cm.
I suspect like most things audio, whatever sounds best is right, the maths doesn't really help much.

[PMCH]

dinster, the person I purchased the AF from also told me that he preferred the 100 ohm setting with a Kelos he was using. Along with the standard jumpers, I was also sent separate resistors of 50, 200, 400 and 500 ohms. One of these days I may try out more of them but I like what I am hearing now so I don't want to mess with it. My main concern was wether I would prefer the AF over the C2300 MC input. I was hoping I wouldn't since I could have saved some dollars. As soon as I tried the AF, I knew it was a keeper, the music opened up even more and much more detail. For my situation, I believe it helps having the AF next to the TT and then running my 3m interconnect from the AF to the C2300 pre. Before the AF I was running a 3m interconnect from the TT to the C2300 MC input. Of course I found more expensive interconnects sounded better to me also. I don't plan on changing anything in the near future. I have said that before.

[edkoz]

Hey Paul, now that your TT setup sounds so go you should consider a very good reel to reel tape recorder to have a tape LP play list>

[audioguy3107]

Originally Posted by PMCH

My main concern was wether I would prefer the AF over the C2300 MC input. I was hoping I wouldn't since I could have saved some dollars.

I was thinking the same thing when I received my C2300 last week......I did a quick comparison between the MC input and my Manley Chinook. Little bit of an unfair comparison since the MC tubes weren't burnt in yet, but it was obvious right from the get go that the Manley was superior.

-Buck

[PMCH]

Ed, No R2R in my future, don't believe I could afford the tapes to play on it. When I was a kid I had a cheap Rat Shack one. It was fun until cassettes were invented. That made it easier to copy records.

Buck, I could have been happy with my C2300 until I listened to a decent dedicated phono pre amp. To late to go back now.

[leftside]

Sorry for revising an old thread. Where did you guys purchase the 400 and 500 ohm resistors from? And how did you install them?

I'm purchasing a new cart this week and the recommended loading is > 400 ohms.