Tavish Design Adagio Vacuum Tube Phono Stage, Owner'S Manual

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the switch or connecting or disconnecting cables. Be sure to connect the ground post on the back of the
phono stage to the ground post on your turntable.
The MC input on the Adagio is transformer balanced, and both XLR and RCA input connectors are
provided. A few turntables provide a balanced (XLR) output, which is preferred for its superior rejection
of external electromagnetic fields (such as from power lines in your house).
Cartridge Loading
Table 3.1 gives suggested settings for some popular cartridges. These are only a starting point. Follow
your cartridge manufacturer’s recommendations, or select the loading to suit your preference. In
selecting the capacitive load for a MM cartridge, note that the cables connecting your turntable to the
phono stage have approximately 30 – 35 pF per foot, so a 3 foot cable contributes 100 pF of capacitance
to cartridge loading.
Cartridge
Type Example Reference
Output Input MM Load MC Load
MM AT95e 3.5 mV MM 50 pF N/A
MM Ortofon 2M 5.5 mV MM 50 pF N/A
Low-Output
MC Denon
DL103 0.35 mV MC N/A Max (500 Ω)
Low-Output
MC Ortofon
Quintet Red 0.5 mV MC N/A 300 Ω
Hi-Output
MC Denon
DL110 1.6 mV MM Min (No
added C) N/A
Hi-Output
MC Sumiko Blue
Point 2.5 mV MM Min (No
added C) N/A
Table 3.1: Suggested settings for popular cartridges.
Connecting Your Preamplifier or Integrated Amplifier
The Adagio has a universal output which is compatible with both unbalanced RCA and balanced XLR
interconnect (pin 2 positive). If your preamplifier or integrated amplifier has a true balanced input, that
is the preferred input to use. Balanced XLR interconnects are used in professional equipment and can
reject hum which sometimes arises from interconnected equipment.