klyne sk-2a (Off Topic)
can anybody give me an evaluation of this unit? Does it have a separate supply or an internal one?
I have a Lyra Evolve 99, .4 mV, 3.3 ohms internal impedance. Is it a good match with the Klyne?
Thank you
klyne sk-2a
by Cappy 
, Wednesday, January 31, 2007, 09:34 (6294 days ago) @ alanpiga
edited by unknown, Wednesday, January 31, 2007, 09:38
I did a quick search but didn't find out the specifics of the gain reconfigurability of this head amp. I would check with Klyne support and see what the gain possibilities are. I bet your 0.4 mv cartridge would work fine. Something like 20 db of gain should do it into a standard Moving Magnet phono stage. What is the gain of your phono stage?
Have you considered step-up transformers instead of an active solution?
I use Lundahl step-ups happily in my phono stage configured for 20 db of gain with similar output carts to your Lyra, 0.4 mv and 0.34 mv.
Another choice to look at is www.bentaudio.com. They have highly regarded step-ups with transformers made by Stevens and Billington.
One caveat with any MC step-up or head amp outside your phono stage box is that it can be tricky to keep the noise levels down. The signal from the pre-preamp is still quite low and can easily be messed up getting to the phono stage. I had noise problems until the pre-preamp was directly inside the phono stage case. If you use a seperate box make sure the interconnects to the phono stage are shielded.