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Audio Note SUTs - Are they worth the money ?

Folks,
I am switching to an all Audio Note system. The preamp and phono stage is M6 phono and power amps are a pair of Conquest Silver Signature monoblocks. I need an SUT for the MC stage to be fed to the M6 phono preamp (it has only MM stage internally). The prices of the Audio Note SUTs have perplexed me a bit. Even an S3 costs a bomb (about $3.5k) for an SUT. Then there is S4, S5 and S8 too. I am not going to use an Audio Note cartridge but rather an AT ART-9. They have a version which matches my cart but I just do not know if the prices are justifiable. Has anybody tried any Audio Note SUTs ? Do they really do anything special to command that kind of prices over other good SUTs around  which are generally quite a bit cheaper ?
pani

Showing 1 response by rauliruegas

rauliruegas
13,123 posts
 
Dear @pani : "  They have a version which matches my cart but I just do not know if the prices are justifiable. "

LOMC cartridges are not sensitive to SUT impedances due that the internal cartridge resistance is really low as is the inernal cartridge inductance. 
The one that can react to those SUT impedancs is the phono stage and this situation is not a good one to have but almost all the time is happening and will happen with your Audio Note phono stage it does not matters which SUT is your choice.

Audio Note SUts are good perhaps only because the transformers are coiled with silver wire and nothing more but exist other silver wire SUTs that are good too and many not silver wired that are very good too.

Never mind, what you need to match is only the SUT's gain need it for the cartridge output level and phono stage gain.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.
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