Yes, I could've replaced the Zen. But I was unhappy with the early failure, so I decided not to exchange the unit for another. Instead, I exchanged it for the Parasound Zphono--which I then exchanged for the Zphono XRM.I believe the Zen has a one year warranty. Hopefully, you can get it replaced. I also hope for my benefit, yours failing was a one-off and mine will keep on working.
Ahh, now I understand. If the Zen proves reliable it will be a super bargain. I think they hit the correct balance of features versus cost and the low noise is a bonus.Yes, I could've replaced the Zen. But I was unhappy with the early failure, so I decided not to exchange the unit for another. Instead, I exchanged it for the Parasound Zphono--which I then exchanged for the Zphono XRM.
The Zphono XRM is a substantial unit, and I like its overall feel, features, and sound. But it is (to my ears) a bit noisier than the Cambridge Audio Duo with a moving-coil cartridge--at least in the setup where I was using it.
Let me add that I loved the looks of the Zen Phono. It's an attractive unit, and I loved the sound.
Phono preamps have a lot of gain at low frequencies which makes them very prone to "pick up" hum/buzz with a whole bunch of different mechanism.@amirm If the 60hz spikes weren't present, how much would that improve the score? (would replacing the power supply with one that could output cleaner 18V DC make sense?)
Performance in phono stages varies quite widely because it's a relatively difficult piece of equipment to design. There needs to be a lot of gain, and the noise floor needs to to be really, really low.Nice to see more phono stage reviews. It still seems to be an area where performance varies quite widely.
I have a Denon high output MC (somethimg-something 160), sounds bad on MC, sounds bad on MM.Why is there still MC? The noise is about 20 dB higher than MM. Does MC have advantages over MM?
Thanks, that wasn't obvious (to me anyway). 60 is pretty much the standard for MC, although some preamps offer a 63 dB option as well for those who need that extra boost.No. If you toggle the switch to MC, the gain jumps to 61 db. I lowered it to 60.
I was led to believe that MC would provide greater detail than MM.Why is there still MC? The noise is about 20 dB higher than MM. Does MC have advantages over MM?
That's some investment in vinyl! I hope you find it worth it. It does seem odd to me that you would spend so little on the cartridge, though.I was led to believe that MC would provide greater detail than MM.
I'm not sure that's at all true. I've decided not to buy another MC cartridge. An FFYX T224 will be delivered to me next week. I'm thinking of installing an Audio-Technica AT-VM530EN on it.
Watch the 6dB or so HF peak on the 530EN, which I gather is similar to the 120E ancestor model I have here. It *can* breathe life into dull 60's orchestral recordings though and even into modern hot cuts of rock music, I don't find it an issue, BUT! the phono stage MUST be able to take the peak without overloading or ringing. The 540 doesn't have this peak and the 740 tested with same stylus, has a traditional recess in the response. You'll need to translate the pages for the text, but the response plots will tell you what you need to knowI was led to believe that MC would provide greater detail than MM.
I'm not sure that's at all true. I've decided not to buy another MC cartridge. An FFYX T224 will be delivered to me next week. I'm thinking of installing an Audio-Technica AT-VM530EN on it.
the phono stage MUST be able to take the peak without overloading or ringing.
It depends on your system if there is added noise or not. A step-up transformer (SUT) can add 20 dB or more of gain with very little noise penalty. I have a Bryston phono with built-in SUTs for MC use.Why is there still MC? The noise is about 20 dB higher than MM. Does MC have advantages over MM?
In my experience, the greater “detail” thing can be using too high a load on the cartridge. The cartridge design - flat or up tilted response - factors in always. I have had a few MC’s and am currently using a Hana SL with great success.I was led to believe that MC would provide greater detail than MM.
I'm not sure that's at all true. I've decided not to buy another MC cartridge. An FFYX T224 will be delivered to me next week. I'm thinking of installing an Audio-Technica AT-VM530EN on it.
I agree about the Hana SL. I’m currently using it with a Sutherland Insight instead of the Bryston, loaded at 1000 ohms. With either phono, it’s an extremely satisfying cartridge. I don’t plan to go back to a MM on that table after using the Hana.In my experience, the greater “detail” thing can be using too high a load on the cartridge. The cartridge design - flat or up tilted response - factors in always. I have had a few MC’s and am currently using a Hana SL with great success.
MC’s I have tried.
Benz Ace high output into MM phono. Never could get the channels to balance. Traded it in for the Miyabi.
Miyabi MCA - through Ortofon 28 db step up into MM phono. Good overall tonal balance - bass maybe a bit soft.
Lyra Parnassus - used same 28 db step up. Has good bass under proper loading with a lot of detail. When it got to be too much I would put the Miyabi on for a while. I had 2 headshells and just had to reset VTF.
Denon 103 with the ”Denon Cap”. Excellent bass! Good midrange with okay detail. Bargain cartridge!
Hana EL - 60 db gain 500 ohm load. Plays everything well. Great bass, midrange, and treble.
Hana SL - 60 db gain started with 500 ohm load and later tried 1000 ohms as final load. Does everything the EL does with more low level details without becoming irritating. Can listen all day without fatigue. Current cartridge of choice.
I have had cheap and expensive with some stuff in between. The Hana SL at $750 list is the most satisfying cartridge ever - for me.
I agree. At the moment we have headroom, with estimates of its impact, but it shouldn't be hard to come up with a few spikes at set voltages to actually measure the impact, should it?Is there a test that can measure the ability of a phono stage to handle this? It would be great is possible to add it to the suite of tests.
I think if it were actually easy, Amir would have already done it. Coming up with standard, useful ways of measuring cartridge performance has been a bit of a challenge. I do reference Paul Miller’s measurements in Hifi News, but his test suite is not as ambitious as Amir’s is.I agree. At the moment we have headroom, with estimates of its impact, but it shouldn't be hard to come up with a few spikes at set voltages to actually measure the impact, should it?
At the moment we have headroom, with estimates of its impact
For example, if we look at the York, or the recently reviewed Gram Slee, both of them don't measure to have a lot of headroom, and they both have less headroom at higher frequencies, but they still seem way more than the 2.5 - 6mV on average that a MM cart puts out.Watch the 6dB or so HF peak on the 530EN