Urika 2 cartridge loading

[pirov]

Anyone experimented with Urika 2 cartridge loading – adjusting default settings (for Gain, Input Resistance, Input Capacitance) in Konfig or Linn Account?

I'm finding that my new Lyra Etna SL sounds most musical with a relatively heavy loading: Input Resistance of 100 ohms against the default 1k ohms.

This may change as the cartridge beds in, but at 1k ohms (i.e. 'wide open' with virtually no loading) the presentation is impressively dynamic but less coherent.

 

[akamatsu]

I've only adjusted gain, and that was only between 50 and 56 Db.

 

[pirov]

I've only adjusted gain, and that was only between 50 and 56 Db.

Any particular reason for doing that?

 

[akamatsu]

Any particular reason for doing that?

Yes. I found the Krystal, then Kandid to be a little quieter than DS, and I wanted the outputs to match. I ended up at 50db on the Kandid, and adjusted the gain to +4 to even things out. It just sounded a little better (expectation bias) at 50db.

With a Linn cartridge, I don't see the need to make adjustments. In your case, things might be different.

 

[pirov]

Yes. I found the Krystal, then Kandid to be a little quieter than DS, and I wanted the outputs to match. I ended up at 50db on the Kandid, and adjusted the gain to +4 to even things out. It just sounded a little better (expectation bias) at 50db.

With a Linn cartridge, I don't see the need to make adjustments. In your case, things might be different.

But in Konfig for Urika 2 the next step up from 50db is 56db – so how did you arrive at +4? (I'm guessing you may be referring to volume offset in Sources?)

 

[akamatsu]

But in Konfig for Urika 2 the next step up from 50db is 56db – so how did you arrive at +4? (I'm guessing you may be referring to volume offset in Sources?)

Yes. You are correct. I meant volume offset in Sources.

 

[ThomasOK]

Anyone experimented with Urika 2 cartridge loading – adjusting default settings (for Gain, Input Resistance, Input Capacitance) in Konfig or Linn Account?

I'm finding that my new Lyra Etna SL sounds most musical with a relatively heavy loading: Input Resistance of 100 ohms against the default 1k ohms.

This may change as the cartridge beds in, but at 1k ohms (i.e. 'wide open' with virtually no loading) the presentation is impressively dynamic but less coherent.

I'm not surprised you find 100 Ohms better. 1KOhms would likely to be too high a setting for most MC cartridges.

 

[pirov]

I'm not surprised you find 100 Ohms better. 1KOhms would likely to be too high a setting for most MC cartridges.

But 1k ohms is the recommended loading for this and other Lyra cartridges.

Actually I'm already doubting my opinion above (that 100 ohms sounds better and more musical).

Certainly some recordings benefit from higher loading, but this afternoon I've been playing some reference recordings/pressings that already (after barely 20 hours) sound wonderful at 1k ohms.

 

[sktn77a]

Lyra's recommended input impedance is ~100 to ~1000ohms "and then adjusted by listening". At least that's what they have on their website under specifications.

 

[pirov]

Lyra's recommended input impedance is ~100 to ~1000ohms "and then adjusted by listening". At least that's what they have on their website under specifications.

Ah that's interesting. Can you provide a link to where this is stated on the website? There is nothing to this effect on the UK sites as far as I can see. All I can find is:

• Recommended load directly into MC phono input: Determine by listening.
• Recommended load via step-up transformer: Use a step-up transformer designed for 1 - 3 ohms cartridge impedance (step-up transformer’s output must be connected to 10kohm ~ 47kohm MM-level RIAA input, preferably via short, low-capacitance cable)

https://lyraanalog.com/etna.html

 

[Moomintroll]

This may change as the cartridge beds in

Presumably you used the default setting when you listened to the cartridge and chose to buy it? So, you know it sounds good with 1k ohm. I’d be putting, at least, 50 hours on the cartridge before tweaking settings.

Enjoy it, it’s cost you enough.

’troll

 

[pirov]

Presumably you used the default setting when you listened to the cartridge and chose to buy it? So, you know it sounds good with 1k ohm. I’d be putting, at least, 50 hours on the cartridge before tweaking settings.

Enjoy it, it’s cost you enough.

’troll

I didn't hear the Etna before committing to it. Long story short, having owned a Kleos and then Kleos SL, I gambled on the the Etna SL after listening to an Ekstatik at home and been unconvinced, deciding to stay with the Lyra sound.

I used the 1k ohms setting with the Kleos cartridges following discussion with the UK importer's recommendation, confirmed as the the best (most open and dynamic) loading by listening.

I know the cartridge needs a lot more hours before giving its best, so no more tweaking for the moment. As to cost, price with trade in for Kleos was £5250 – £250 less than what I would have paid of Ekstatik!

 

[sktn77a]

Ah that's interesting. Can you provide a link to where this is stated on the website? There is nothing to this effect on the UK sites as far as I can see.

http://www.lyraconnoisseur.com/Products/Products_Analog/transducer.html

Select your cartridge, go to the bottom of the page and select "Specifications".

EDIT: I just saw you have the "SL" version of the cartridge - you are correct, they don't give a spec for this series, just "determined by listening".

 

[pirov]

http://www.lyraconnoisseur.com/Products/Products_Analog/transducer.html

Select your cartridge, go to the bottom of the page and select "Specifications".

EDIT: I just saw you have the "SL" version of the cartridge - you are correct, they don't give a spec for this series, just "determined by listening".

Interesting in that the cartridges shown in the 'transducers' section appear to be the pre-Lambda versions (the Etna with red front magnet carrier), whereas the Home page has the current Lambda model (yellow front). http://www.lyraconnoisseur.com/index.html

Also just checked the instruction manual that came with the Etna SL which states: 'In order to avoid compromising Etna SL's dynamics and resolution, we recommend using as low-capacitance tonearm cable as possible, and setting all phono stage capacitance adjustment to their lowest values.'

 

[Moomintroll]

Also just checked the instruction manual that came with the Etna SL which states: 'In order to avoid compromising Etna SL's dynamics and resolution, we recommend using as low-capacitance tonearm cable as possible, and setting all phono stage capacitance adjustment to their lowest values.'

What’s it set at in the Urika II? I know it goes pretty low, something like 0.5 nF.

’troll

 

[pirov]

What’s it set at in the Urika II? I know it goes pretty low, something like 0.5 nF.

’troll

Not tried at 0.5 nF, but that's an option in Konfig/Linn account settings.

 

[GeraldS]

Does somebody know did the Urika2 really change these settings in the analog part or to it correct it in the digital part with different equalizer curves?

 

[ThomasOK]

Does somebody know did the Urika2 really change these settings in the analog part or to it correct it in the digital part with different equalizer curves?

The loading of the cartridge is an electrical loading done by resistors and capacitors. It cannot be done digitally. In the Urika 2 it is done at the beginning of the analog stage by relays switching in different resistors and capacitors.

 

[pirov]

The loading of the cartridge is an electrical loading done by resistors and capacitors. It cannot be done digitally. In the Urika 2 it is done at the beginning of the analog stage by relays switching in different resistors and capacitors.

Really? Just trying to get my head round how the choice (in Konfig) between around 15 different settings for input resistance/capacitance is implemented 'at the beginning of the analogue stage' (inside the Urika 2?).

And is it only the RIAA curve that is implemented in the digital domain? https://www.linn.co.uk/uk/turntables/components/urika-ii

 

[ThomasOK]

The different settings are done by switching resistors or capacitors in and out of the signal path at the input. This is not that difficult as surface mount devices can be quite small, also multiple resistors can be combined to achieve different settings. As an example if you could have a 180 Ohm resistor and a 300 Ohm one. If you paralleled those two you would have 120 Ohms.

This is really the only way it can be done as the effect of the resistance (and to a lesser extent, but still audible, capacitance) is that it forms a resonant circuit with the coils in the MC cartridge that when set for the most musical perfromance performs an optimum damping of the stylus/coil/suspension resonances.

Also the entirety of the RIAA equalization is not done digitally. Although the information might not be easy to find now, when it was introduced the way the Urika 2 works was clearly explained. The first part of the Urika 2 is the same as in the Urika 1. This includes the initial gain stage (the biggest part of the gain) the high-frequency RIAA equalization and the above switching that was added to the Urika 1 circuit. So the significantly more powerful and high-frequency EQ adjusted signal is then converted to a digital stream of 1s and 0s, the bass EQ is applied, and any necessary correction to the bass and treble EQ is made. This is done because the dynamic range needed to handle the very low level signals put out by a MC cartridge and fully EQ it would be virtually impossible to handle well with current state of the art in ADC design. Giving a big boost in gain and doing the high-frequency EQ gets the level of the signal up significantly so as to keep low level noise and distortion from the digital conversion at low levels.