Next question. I am toying with moving to a Superline. Presently I have a Lyra Delos for which the output is quoted at 0.6mV/600µV. In future I anticipate moving to a different cartridge I see others use a variety around the 350-500µV range but not for a couple of years.
Used standard Superline models appear to be more widely available than the low gain E model. Is the standard Superline a suitable stage, I note it is aimed at cartridges 100µV to 500µV? i.e. below the Lyra Delos output.
@Skip and @Terrysmi I found a thread from 2019 in which you mentioned using a Delos (0.6mV and a Kleos (0.5mV). Do you use the standard model or low gain Superline?
Also, does the Superline come with a 240⁰ DIN interconnect?
With a cart with an output over 0.5mV I would be looking at the Superline E. It’s only slightly lower in gain but of course also greater in headroom. You could probably get away with the standard Superline if you go for a Kleos, but I’d be a bit concerned about possible headroom with a cart output of 0.6mV.
@Richard.Dane: If I imagine correctly you are using a Koetsu Black. In some documents this cartridge is shown with 0,4 mV and in others with 0,6 mV. Do you prefer a Superline Standard or E for your Koetsu?
Looking at various MC cartridges available, a typical output appears to be around 350µV-500µV range. If so, generally speaking, would a Superline E be the right choice for most users?
What is the history of the Superline - was it originally released with both models? Or was the E model a later release? I’m just curious about why the standard Superline appears to be more common than the Superline E, if the E is the more flexible choice.
The standard Superline came first and it was designed for proper low output MCs. It is quiet enough and has enough gain that it can work well even with those down at 0.1-0.2mV. The E came about because it was found that for MC carts over 0.5mV (there are a some that are 0.6mV - 0.65mV) headroom became a potential issue. FWIW, with my own E I have used successfully with carts as low as 0.25mV.
@Richard.Dane, I thought I read that the E stood for EMT and they have an output of 1.05mV but the Stageline E came first so the E label really derives from the stageline. Was the Superline E also developed for EMT cartridges or does it just carry the name over from the stageline?
I tried the Stageline E with my Lyra Argo (output 0.6mv) and the gain just wasn’t high enough. Switched it out for a Stageline K and everything was fine.