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SE to Balanced will help?

Zapper

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I will also suggest that your expectations are too high. You are taking a coil designed to pickup tiny fluctuating magnetic fields and amplifying its output >10,000 times (preamp × amp gains). 60Hz AC magnetic fields are everywhere. Add enough amplification and you'll hear it. If you can't hear it at normal playback settings then call it a win.
 
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The Sentinel

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I will also suggest that your expectations are too high. You are taking a coil designed to pickup tiny fluctuating magnetic fields and amplifying its output >10,000 times (preamp × amp gains). 60Hz AC magnetic fields are everywhere. Add enough amplification and you'll hear it. If you can't hear it at normal playback settings then call it a win.
Yes, it is a win indeed, it is not audible even at 90dB at the sweet spot.
 
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The Sentinel

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The SUT sounds like the best option. I use a Denon AU-320 SUT (1:10) with my DL-103R cartridge and into a Parks Audio Budgie phono pre @38dB gain. Works perfectly how I want it.

Rothwell is a good resource for SUT info:


nclayton sells some good SUT's on eBay based on Cinemag transformers. The 1254 Cinemag is an excellent choice that might match well with your cart:


I use his 3440AH with the Denon carts and it also works great

Wow!, looks like the right upgrade from the Mani2. Thanks!
 
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The Sentinel

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You still need a phono stage for RIAA EQ, so you will need the Mani 2 also. The SUT will go between the turntable and Mani 2. You just set the Mani for normal MM operation, 47K and 40dB, then you are off and running and your noise issues should be controlled.
Hehe, yes just saw that, those are step up transformers only and not full phono preamps; if they do the job of amplifying without noise then they’re worth the cost.
 

drewdawg999

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IME they are WELL WORTH IT.
Yes I agree, MC quality need not come with hiss and hum. Plus, they're big in Japan. Those nclayton Cinemag SUTs look sweet, especially the 1254, nice to have so many options for ratios. Looks like the Ortofon Quintet is low internal impedance and only 0.3mV output, so a 1:20 ratio looks pretty good. My old Koetsu Black is similar, checked out Cinemag but landed on a Phasemation T-300 and it's been perfect for me, especially since budget is a factor. They're readily available on eBay if you don't mind shipping from Japan.
 
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SoNic

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The SUT load up the pickup coil inside the cartridge with a lower impedance and they might change the response, depending on the cart impedance, especially in the high frequency part. IMO, you are giving up exactly what you are trying to gain by using a MC instead of a MM.

Moving Coil are much pickier to the amp chain, when compared with Moving Magnet. MC are much harder to cleanly amplify, because they generate a much lower voltage: 0.2-0.5 mV for MC, versus 3-6 mV for MM.
The preamp for those has to be INSIDE the turntable, or at the most VERY CLOSE, with a shortest as possible cable connection, double shielded. As an Electrical Engineer I am telling you... there is no way around this. Small gain preamp for MC that goes inside the turntable is the best solution.
This is something similar with what I used personally, installed inside the turntable, to boost the voltage to the MM levels (no RIAA correction in this stage):
 
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The Sentinel

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The SUT load up the pickup coil inside the cartridge with a lower impedance and they might change the response, depending on the cart impedance, especially in the high frequency part. IMO, you are giving up exactly what you are trying to gain by using a MC instead of a MM.

Moving Coil are much pickier to the amp chain, when compared with Moving Magnet. MC are much harder to cleanly amplify, because they generate a much lower voltage: 0.2-0.5 mV for MC, versus 3-6 mV for MM.
The preamp for those has to be INSIDE the turntable, or at the most VERY CLOSE, with a shortest as possible cable connection, double shielded. As an Electrical Engineer I am telling you... there is no way around this. Small gain preamp for MC that goes inside the turntable is the best solution.
This is something similar with what I used personally, installed inside the turntable, to boost the voltage to the MM levels (no RIAA correction in this stage):
As thread stater, I’m getting aware of valuable concepts.
When noise gets IN the signal cannot be cleaned up by going to balanced.
MC cartridges require a lot more of care, investment and patience; do not expect fully clean signal from MC cartridges without all that.

My system runs beautiful and sounds spectacular at levels up to 90 dB-A at the sweet spot, if cranked above the hisss can be heard but all other sources (even cassette tapes) are deadly silent in the background so I guess I might be investing in a SUT in a few months but not in a hurry really.

Oh, the Mani2 sounds better and with a very lower noise than the internal phono stage of the NAD C165BEE. I’m keeping the Mani2 given Amir’s review of it.
 

Ecaroh

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Have you connected the Mani2 ground to the TT, if it supports that?

I'd get some RCA shunts and use those for the TT input the mani2. That will ground the input. If that removes the humm, then you know the problem is 60Hz pickup before the mani. If it does not remove the hum, then its a problem with the mani2 or the cabling.
Explain RCA shunt? Would appreciate.
 

radix

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