Help needed to avoid blowing up new amplifier!

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Aug 10, 2019
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Hello all,

I would be grateful for some advice. My new Roksan Kandy K2 has now arrived, and along with MA GS10s sounds lovely. However, the spade connector on the "earth" on the Phono stage on My Project Debut II doesn't fit the terminal on the amp. I am a bit ignorant on the mechanics of Phono stages. I don't know if the Project is MM or MC, and if I'm perfectly honest, other than what they stand for, I don't know the difference. I've worked around the problem by using my Arcam A65+ as a Phono amp and taking it's Pre Outs into a line input on the Roksan.

I'd be grateful if anyone could tell me how to connect the turntable directly to the Roksan, and if I need to buy a separate Phono stage, or alternatively, if using the Arcam is the best bet.

Many thanks in anticipation of your help in avoiding an expensive mistake.

Shuggie
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Thanks,

So, can any turntable be connected to either type of phono stage, or do the different types have different types of grounding post attachments? The interconnect and earth are embedded in the Project, so I wouldn't know where to start to change the size of the spade connector. Apolgies if these seem like stupid questions!

Shuggie
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Hi,

Yes, any turntable can be connected to either type of phono stage -- the two types have to do with the type of cartridge you're using, not the turntable. If you're still using the Ortofon OM5E supplied with the Project (according to Google) then this is a MM cartridge. I'm pretty sure you'd know if you had a low-output moving coil cartridge, as it wouldn't be unusual to pay 500 pounds for one. Basically, you should be fine to connect the turntable to the Roksan. If by some bizarre chance you have a low output MC and don't know it, all that will happen is that you won't be able to hear it very well :p

I'm not an authority on the earth, but I think the worst thing that can happen from not connecting the terminal is that you might get a 60 Hz hum. Also, my experience is that you can generally bend the terminal to get it to fit around the earthing screw. I've even read that you can connect it to a regular screw on the outside of the amplifier. I'm not recommending any of these things, but some further googling might help -- I really don't think it's possible to do damage to the turntable or the amplifier by not earthing though.

Lydgate

Also if you're interested, I started off on the tangent of explaining MC/MM then realized it wasn't really relevant to your post... but I typed it anyway:

The difference between MM and MC is in the way that the electrical signal is generated -- either by moving a magnet against fixed coils, or vice versa. The result with MM, while pretty small and requiring further amplification (done in the phono stage) to reach line level, is normally about an order of magnitude larger than the much smaller signal from an MC cartridge.

That said, there are high output MC cartridges that are made with a powerful magnet to (nearly) reach MM levels -- and can thus be plugged into a normal MM phono stage. My Denon DL-160 is one of these.

In general, low-output MC cartridges are more expensive and supposedly better sounding -- though since you're amplifying such a tiny signal, it's a lot more prone to hissing and humming and things (I think). All hearsay because I've never had one -- yet!

As I said before, plugging low output MC into MM phono stage will just be very quiet. High output MC (or obviously MM) into MM phono stage is what you're meant to do. MM or high output MC into MC phono stage will be very loud and probably distorted.

Hope that helps.
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Lydgate,

Thank you very much for the comprehensive explanation. My initial temptation was to start bending things and cobbling together something that fit, but I then became nervous at the thought of ruining the new amp, a fear that you have assuaged. You are correct that I still have the original cartridge in place.

I am having an absolute ball listening to all my old LP's from the 70's and 80's when I was a mere slip of a lad, and for the time being will stick with the current turntable and cartridge.

Now I just need to find a new CD Player to do justice to the Kandy and the MA GS10's. Ah, the dangers of starting an upgrade round!

Thanks again,

Shuggie
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Very glad to have helped!

I've been very pleased with my Roksan turntable -- how are you finding the Kandy K2 with vinyl? I've heard people say it sounds bright, but the WHF reviews of it have been very tempting...

Lydgate
 
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Anonymous

Guest
I've not found it bright at all. I was previously using an Arcam A65+ with B&W 602 s3's, so it's been a fairly substantial change to the engine room of my system. I've been listening to Picture Book (Simply Red), Brothers in Arms (Dire Straits), Saturday Night, Sunday Morning (River Detectives), all on Vinyl this morning (currently on night shift), and it just sounds rich and warm but full of detail. Also, having now set it up properly just through the Kandy, there is a lot less hum. The top end is very revealing, particularly with percussion details that I hadn't noticed before, but the mid range is rich and the bass is strong without being flabby. I suspect some of the comments about brightness might be to do with partnering, but with the Monitor Audio GS10's, the combination is impressive. Bearing in mind that I now have budget sources going into mid-range Amp and Speakers, I imagine it has the capacity to sound even better.

I'm not familiar with the tonal qualities of your existing kit, but certainly from my previous stuff, it's a huge step forwards, and thanks to the guys at Sevenoaks in Aberdeen, I got a great deal.

Incidentally, I haven't seen any reviews of the GS10's on WHFSAV. Does anyone else have any thoughts on them, and is a review planned?

Shuggie
 

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