MM phono stage for SUT

[ShawnZH]

I'm seeking for some advices for the MM phono stage for an SUT.

There're "pure" MM phono stages on the market, with a fixed 47k ohm impedance, for example the Kondo M7, GE-10, and the MM inputs on Allnic phono, and alike. There're also some MC phono pre-amps allowing users to dial up the load impedance upto 47k ohm. The differences between the 2 are usually the pure MM stages offer capacitance adjustment, while those are normally carrying lower gain, such as 34db, 36db, etc.

The MC phonos with 47k ohm are usually carrying higher gain, such as 52db or even higher as they are intended to drive a low gain MC cart.

I'd like to get some opinons, if I pair with an MM, do both work the same, exept the gain difference?

 

[mtemur]

According to your signature you already have a couple of good phono stages. I strongly recommend you to use a tube mm phono stage with SUT.

I guess I know your problem with Kondo M7 phono. It has too much gain.
Kondo M7 is mm only phono but it has very high 46 dB gain (48dB when measured). When it’s used with Kondo SFZ SUT (36dB) total gain can go up to 82db in total. That’s very useful if you are not using a preamp and connecting M7 to a power amp like ongaku. M7’s high gain makes it useable without a preamp. Since you are using a preamp, Kondo GE-1 (34dB) or Kondo GE-10 (38dB) would be a better match.

 

[Jeffy]

Don't rule out the EMIA phono stage by Dave Slagle.

 

[ShawnZH]

According to your signature you already have a couple of good phono stages. I strongly recommend you to use a tube mm phono stage with SUT.

I guess I know your problem with Kondo M7 phono. It has too much gain.
Kondo M7 is mm only phono but it has very high 46 dB gain (48dB when measured). When it’s used with Kondo SFZ SUT (36dB) total gain can go up to 82db in total. That’s very useful if you are not using a preamp and connecting M7 to a power amp like ongaku. M7’s high gain makes it useable without a preamp. Since you are using a preamp, Kondo GE-1 (34dB) or Kondo GE-10 (38dB) would be a better match.

Thanks Mtemur for the feedbacks.

I asked about it partially because of the M7 that I own. It is true that usually the M7+SFZ combo is too much gain especially with carts over 0.3mv.

I asked about it also because I recently bought an FM 222 MK3, with an impedance module enabling me to have 47k load. FM 222 works very well with higher gain carts. The gain is 52db and 62db. I’m thinking to use it as an MM stage with an SUT (Need a unique XLR to RCA tone arm cable).

That’s why I have this question.

Kondo GE-1 and GE-10 are really something I’m looking at, especially GE-10. But the order time is very long and I have no chance to hear it before putting so much money into an MM phono.

 

[Birdwatcher]

Shawn, after your last reply here you seam to have switched from Kondo M7 to GE-10i.
How are the differences? Really great? Just more of everything, or maybe somehow different in one or other way?

As I see, you don’t use a Kondo cartridge. Was a IO-xp never a choice to think about for your matching Kondo SFz and GE-10i?

And would you please write about differences between your Allnic 8000 DHT against the Kondo phono stages?