Post by montesquieu on May 13, 2020 13:07:16 GMT
Here’s an opportunity for any one who is either experienced with mono, or just simply mono-curious, to jump in at the very top of the mono game.
I am selling my Miyajima ETR-Mono step-up transformer. I use this with my three Miyajima mono cartridges (Zero A and B with 1.0mil and 0.7mil tip for very early mono and later mono/reissues respectively, plus a Kotetu 78 for shellac 78s), but I have used it previously with any number of other mono cartridges and it handles them all really well. My next favourite mono cartridge after the Miyajimas is the My Sonic Lab Eminent Solo, but this is also suitable for from Lyra, Koetsu, Ikeda, and Audio Technica mono cartridges, as well as some from Ortofon. It has a 'pass' function allowing it to be bypassed where required, eg for some high output MC Ortofon SPU mono cartridges that can be run directly into MM inputs
The main benefit of a dedicated single coil 'real' mono cartridge is that it only moves and picks up signal in the horizontal plane, not only does it not reproduce noise embedded in the vertical plane used for stereo recordings, it can’t even detect it. This delivers a quietness and a musical coherence when reproducing mono records that simply isn’t available when using a stereo cartridge, even one notionally far more expensive. I have demonstrated this many times in my setup here.
The Miyajima ETR-Mono is something of a Swiss Army knife of step-ups, having four input coil taps on the primary coil, four output taps on the secondary, and four available loading resistor options, plus pass for 47k ohms, giving the option of 80 individual configurations.
This all sounds complicated, but in fact it’s quite straightforward to set. Input settings on the primary coil (showing number of turns) are are determined by the coil impedance of the cartridge to be used:
80 2-5 Ω
120 6-12 Ω (best suited for the Zero)
160 12-20 Ω
200 20-40 Ω
Matching these with the secondary output provide a huge variety of gain settings suitable for a phono stage and preamp combination of all sort of different gain structures:
1:9
1:11.3
1:12.0
1:5
1:18
1:20
1:22.5
1:25
1:30 (ideal match for the Zero in most setups, though other gain settings can be used)
1:37.5
1:45
Made available because I'm consolidating on my new two-input Allnic HA5000 head amp, which is the natural partner to my Allnic H7000V phono stage - though I have to say I have some misgivings about moving on from the ETR-Mono.
Note that since it has two inputs (for a stereo arm cable) it can be used with stereo cartridges to fold down to mono in the absence of a mono button, there is also a bypass setting for when an MM cartridge is used in the chain and no step-up is required.
The ETR-Mono was purchased though the Miyajima UK dealer network (from Ammonite Audio - who I can thoroughly recommend if you need a mono cartridge to go with it - Hugo is one of the very very few dealers out there who understands mono properly) and comes in the original box with paperwork. Current new price is £1395, I’m looking for £875 for this including the courier charge. No pickup unfortunately at this time. My ETR-Stereo may also be avaialble at a future date.
I am selling my Miyajima ETR-Mono step-up transformer. I use this with my three Miyajima mono cartridges (Zero A and B with 1.0mil and 0.7mil tip for very early mono and later mono/reissues respectively, plus a Kotetu 78 for shellac 78s), but I have used it previously with any number of other mono cartridges and it handles them all really well. My next favourite mono cartridge after the Miyajimas is the My Sonic Lab Eminent Solo, but this is also suitable for from Lyra, Koetsu, Ikeda, and Audio Technica mono cartridges, as well as some from Ortofon. It has a 'pass' function allowing it to be bypassed where required, eg for some high output MC Ortofon SPU mono cartridges that can be run directly into MM inputs
The main benefit of a dedicated single coil 'real' mono cartridge is that it only moves and picks up signal in the horizontal plane, not only does it not reproduce noise embedded in the vertical plane used for stereo recordings, it can’t even detect it. This delivers a quietness and a musical coherence when reproducing mono records that simply isn’t available when using a stereo cartridge, even one notionally far more expensive. I have demonstrated this many times in my setup here.
The Miyajima ETR-Mono is something of a Swiss Army knife of step-ups, having four input coil taps on the primary coil, four output taps on the secondary, and four available loading resistor options, plus pass for 47k ohms, giving the option of 80 individual configurations.
This all sounds complicated, but in fact it’s quite straightforward to set. Input settings on the primary coil (showing number of turns) are are determined by the coil impedance of the cartridge to be used:
80 2-5 Ω
120 6-12 Ω (best suited for the Zero)
160 12-20 Ω
200 20-40 Ω
Matching these with the secondary output provide a huge variety of gain settings suitable for a phono stage and preamp combination of all sort of different gain structures:
1:9
1:11.3
1:12.0
1:5
1:18
1:20
1:22.5
1:25
1:30 (ideal match for the Zero in most setups, though other gain settings can be used)
1:37.5
1:45
Made available because I'm consolidating on my new two-input Allnic HA5000 head amp, which is the natural partner to my Allnic H7000V phono stage - though I have to say I have some misgivings about moving on from the ETR-Mono.
Note that since it has two inputs (for a stereo arm cable) it can be used with stereo cartridges to fold down to mono in the absence of a mono button, there is also a bypass setting for when an MM cartridge is used in the chain and no step-up is required.
The ETR-Mono was purchased though the Miyajima UK dealer network (from Ammonite Audio - who I can thoroughly recommend if you need a mono cartridge to go with it - Hugo is one of the very very few dealers out there who understands mono properly) and comes in the original box with paperwork. Current new price is £1395, I’m looking for £875 for this including the courier charge. No pickup unfortunately at this time. My ETR-Stereo may also be avaialble at a future date.