ifi iPhono User manual
1
iFiiPhonoUser4StepGuide
Step1:ConnectMM/MCInput.
Refertothecartridgemanualforthespecifiedoutputvoltage.
Eg: TheoutputvoltageoftheMCcartridgeDenonDL‐103Ris0.25mV;
TheoutputvoltageofatheMMcartridgeShureM97xEis4mV.
e.g.ShureM97xE(4mV)shouldbeconnectedtotheMMinputoftheiPhono;
DenonDL‐103R(0.25mV)shouldbeconnectedtotheMCinputoftheiPhono.
Note:MMandMCinputsshouldNOTbeconnectedsimultaneously.
Tip:ForrareHighOutputMCcartridgesliketheOrtofonMC‐3Turbo
，
itsoutputis3.3mV
，
soit
shouldbeconnectedtotheMMinputoftheiPhono.Theactualoutputvoltagedeterminatewhich
inputshouldbeused.
Tip:Remembertoconnectthegroundwirefromtheturntable/armtotheiPhono.
Usethesmallextensionleadincludedforeaseofconnection.Sofullvinylsystemis
nowfullygroundedtogether.
Step2:SetGain.
Allphonopre‐amplifiershavegainadjustment.Differentcartridgesrequiredifferentlevels
ofgain.
MMcartridgesrequirelowergainandMCcartridgerequirehighergain.Normallygainis
expressedindecibel(dB),40dBmeans100timesgain.
CartridgesOutput GainRequired
>3mV40dB
1mV‐3mV46dB
0.3‐1mV 60dB
<0.3mV66dB
Fromtheabovetable,ShureM97xEshoulduse40dBgain,andDenonDL‐103Rshoulduse
66dBgain.
CartridgeoutputiPhonoinputconnection
1mVMC
>1mVMM
2
Aslongastherightconnection(MM/MC)ismadeasper“Step1:ConnectMM/MCInput”,
thereisnoneedtodistinguishMM/MCcartridgeanymoreforthefollowingsteps.
(i) Pleaselookattheoutputvoltageofthecartridge;
(ii) Determinatethegainrequired(dB)fromtheabovetable;
(iii) Thenjustsetthemicroswitchesexactlyasfollows,ignorethegrayedout
switchesfornow.
40dB
46dB
3
60dB
66dB
4
Step3:SetLoad.
Eachandeverycartridgerequiresthecorrectloadtosounditsbest.MMcartridgesrequire
capacitiveload(pF),MCcartridgesrequireresistiveload(Ω/Ohm).
Thecorrectloadvalueshallbestatedinthecartridgemanualtoo,howevernotALL
cartridgesstatethisvalue.
Manypeoplehavemisunderstoodthisloadvalueasthesameasthecartridgeinternal
impedance/resistancewhichisincorrect.
CartridgeImpedance/Resistance CorrectLoad
ShureM97xE
（MM）
1550Ohm200‐300pF
OrtofonMC‐3Turbo
（HighOutputMC）
100Ohm47kOhm
DenonDL‐103R
（MC）
14Ohm NotStated.
Forcartridgesthathavenoloadvaluestatedinthemanual,theonlywaytofindoutthe
correctloadvalueisbylistening.Whichloadvalueprovidesthemostnaturalsound,thenit
istherightvalue.Forexample,thecorrectloadforDenonDL‐103Risaround1kOhm.
Tip:Ifthesoundistoodull,tryincreasingthepF(MM)orΩ/Ohm(MC)value
；
ifthesoundis
toobright,tryloweringthepF(MM)orΩ/Ohm(MC)value.
Theupper‐mostrowoftheloadtableisthenameofthemicroswitches,correspondingto
theactualmicroswitchesontheleft:
对应左面实际的小开关:
Theleft‐mostcolumnoftheloadtableistheactualloadvalue:
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Forexample：
250Ω（MC）47kΩ（MC）
Iftherequiredloadvalueis250Ω,thenthe
4microswitches330Ωand1kΩshallbe
inthe“●”(right)position;othermicro
switchesshallbeinthe“‐“(left)position.
Iftherequiredloadvalueis47kΩ,all
microswitchesshallbeinthe“‐“(left)
position.
400pF（MM）100pF（MM）
Iftherequiredloadvalueis400pF，then
the4microswitches100pFand200pF
shallbeinthe“●”(right)position;other
microswitchesshallbeinthe“‐“(left)
position.
Iftherequiredloadvalueis100pF,allmicro
switchesshallbeinthe“‐“(left)position.
Note:Forhighoutputcartridge,pleaseusetheMMcartridge(pF)settings.
Tip:Typically,MCcartridgesofferthebestsound,MMcartridgesaremosteconomical,Highoutput
MCcartridgesaresomewhereinbetween.
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Step4:SetEQcurve.
Forthecorrectplaybackofeachandeveryrecord,thecorrectEQcurvemustbeused.There
aretwosmallstepstosetthiscorrectly.
1：RIAA/eRIAA/IEC
(Undernormalcircumstance,onecanjustleavethisunchangedasitis
partofthefactoryDefaultsettings)
TwoeRIAAmicroswitchesshouldbein“●“(right)position;twoIECmicroswitchesshallbe
in“‐“(left)position.
Description Remarks
eRIAA（Default）EnhancedRIAAEQcurveExtendedHighFrequency
IECSubsonicfilter Forwarpedrecords
RIAAStandardRIAAEQcurve‐
eRIAA+IECEnhancedRIAAEQcurve+
Subsonicfilter
ExtendedHighFrequency+
Forwarpedrecords
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2:DECCA/RIAA/COLUMBIA
Atthebeginning,thereusedtobemanydifferent
kindsofEQcurve.In1954,Recordlabelsalloverthe
worldagreedtouseasingleRIAAEQcurveforall
records.However,therealityisthatonlyafter1980s,
allrecordsareactuallyusingRIAAEQcurves(justthink,
howeasyisittoreachasingleagreementonaglobal
scale?Andimplementitovertheshortspaceof1‐2years?).
IfthewrongEQcurveisused,therecordwillnotsound“right.”Forexample:Deutsche
Grammophon’sclassicalrecordsreleasedbefore1980oftensounddryandflat,thereasonis
becausethoseweremanufacturedusingtheDECCAEQcurve,nottheRIAAEQcurve.
Recordreleasedbefore1980:
RecordLabelsiPhonofrontEQswitch
COLUMBIA(Up)
RIAA(Middle)
DECCA(Down)
Note:ForEMIrecordsissuedinEurope,manyofthemwereusingtheDECCAEQcurve.For
EMIrecordsissuedintheUSA,manyofthemwereusingtheCOLUMBIAEQcurve,especially
theoneswhichwereoriginallyproducedbyCOLUMBIA/CBSbutissuedundertheEMIlabel
afterthemerger.
Forrecordsissuedafter1980,mostofthemareusingthestandardRIAAEQcurve.
Wehopethistutorialhashelpedyoufindmorelifeinyourvinylcollectionandultimately,
leadtoanevengreaterlevelofmusicalenjoyment!
