2017 Taylor ES2 Input Impedance Question

[Old Poseur]

I'm a retired lawyer, not an electrical engineer, so please be patient with me. I have a 2017 Taylor with the ES2 system. I've looked on line but can't seem to get a straight answer - is there a recommended input impedance for the ES2 system? The reason I ask is that my preamp/DI has three different instrument input impedance settings: low (330K), medium (1M) and hi (10M), and while I could match by ear I'd just like to know which setting should work best for the Taylor ES2. Your thoughts are most appreciated! [Edited]

[akafloyd]

Low should be fine, but try them all.

[SpruceTop]

As AkaFloyd mentioned. The ES2 is an active system and should mate well with any input impedance but if you have a choice of three different input impedances, then let your ear decide in the subtle differences in tone , if any, these three impedances may render your amplified sound.

[Old Poseur]

Thanks gentlemen - that's exactly what I'll do.

[guitaniac]

If that figure is 330 ohms (as opposed to 330 Kohms), I'd think that you'd likely get a tinny/trebly result running to it. Most active pickup systems have an output resistance of more than 330 ohms. (1 Kohm is a common output impedance for an active pickup system. The rule of thumb is that you want the preamp's input impedance to be at least 10X the output impedance of the pickup system.)

If the input is 330 Kohms, then it would be the best input for your active ES2 system, though you might hear no difference in the three inputs. According to the experts on this forum, an unnecessarily high input impedance can attract unwanted noise.

[Old Poseur]

The three settings are 330KΩ, 1MEGΩ, and 10MEGΩ. So it looks like it will be the low setting (but I will check by ear). Thanks!

[leew3]

As an aside, it's my understanding that the Expressions system with a TRS cable renders a balanced signal that doesn't need a DI for longer runs. I plug mine directly into the board, or snake when the latter is the case of a house system.

[Old Poseur]

While that is true of the original Taylor Expression System, that is not true of the ES2 - which Taylor states in the literature as using TS jacks and is unbalanced. So if you're going to run them to a PA you'll need a DI Box.

[leew3]

Thanks for the info, obviously my Taylors are all well before the ES2 so my assumptions were inaccurate! The good news is that there are lots of great DI and preamp options for you to explore.

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by Old Poseur

While that is true of the original Taylor Expression System, that is not true of the ES2 - which Taylor states in the literature as using TS jacks and is unbalanced. So if you're going to run them to a PA you'll need a DI Box.

That's true in the case of a large PA system with a distant board. With the compact and personal PA systems, a TS cable will be fine direct in.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Old Poseur]

I'd submitted my question to Taylor as well and here is their reply: "The ES2 is pretty flexible and can plug into any line input >10kΩ without issue. On your amp, I'd try both the medium and high settings to see which one sounded better." I'm thinking test them out but that the middle probably will win out.

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by Old Poseur

I'd submitted my question to Taylor as well and here is their reply: "The ES2 is pretty flexible and can plug into any line input >10kΩ without issue. On your amp, I'd try both the medium and high settings to see which one sounded better.". Pretty much the opposite of what there suggested. 🙄 I'm thinking test themout but that the middle probably will win out.

I am an engineer. When I read your question, my immediate thought was to plug it into the "middle" one and move on.

[guitaniac]

Originally Posted by Old Poseur

I'd submitted my question to Taylor as well and here is their reply: "The ES2 is pretty flexible and can plug into any line input >10kΩ without issue. On your amp, I'd try both the medium and high settings to see which one sounded better." I'm thinking test them out but that the middle probably will win out.

Did you specify that the lowest impedance one was 330 Kohms (rather than 330 ohms)? If any line input > 10 Kohms will work, I wonder why they suggested you try the two higher impedance inputs. Several folks on this forum have commented that there can be a downside (unwanted noise) to running into an input impedance which is unnecessarily high.

My guess is that you'll hear very little difference between the three inputs. If you do happen to hear a noticeable difference, please follow up and let us know what you've observed.

[Old Poseur]

Will do - my AER Amp will be here by Friday - I'll test it out and report.

[Old Poseur]

Update as requested: I tried all three impedence settings - as suspected there wasn't a huge difference but there was some slight difference. I favored the 330KΩ setting, so that's where it will remain. How to describe the difference - very subtle but in the higher settings the bass notes seemed to sound ever so slightly overloaded. YMMV. Thanks for all the feedback (pun intended). Chris.