Hello, I don’t think many people understand your question and what your friend is telling you. I personally own 3 preamps that have excellent phonostages. I own 2 high level, very expensive external phonostages that have MM and MC settings. Both external phonostages have Lundahl transformers to step up the signal for MC cartridges. The point your friend is making, is to try various other Step up Transformers via the MM section of your phonostage. I personally own 7 or 8 SUT’s and have discovered they all have their own unique sound and it takes time to match the perfect SUT with your cartridge. The more options you have, the better the results will be. If you are happy with the built in MC section of your preamp, then enjoy it but if you want to hear things change in sound, just like changing the cartridge affects the sound dramatically, trying different SUT’s can make the sound better or worse as well. I personally am a fan of options.
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When it comes to hifi hobby, matching the correct stuff together is what creates nice synergy. One might have 2 excellent sounding pieces but they might not sound great together. Exploring external SUT’s is just one of the many unique things people do to get the best performance from their vinyl setup. I own 7 SUT’s and have listened to about 15 different ones in my system. They all sound very different. I heard some very nice ones but in the end, I settled on a SUT that uses 50’s transformers made by Thordarson. Just like everything in this hobby, there is a world of SUT’s and makers of them out there for you to try. No easy way around this once you open that door. Good luck and you’ll see that they do make a difference.
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rmcfee, I’m glad I am able to share my experience with you about SUT’s. Mine journey began when I first purchased a Denon step up for my Denon cartridge. I then picked up a Ortofon and after an expensive active tube based Klimo. From there I started to realize that these things make a difference. I listened to my friends AudioNote and even though it worked great in his system, for mine it was too clean and lacking body. In his setup, it sounded great. I listened to a bunch more till I found around 7 that I liked best for me. Don’t think that because a transformer matches well in someone’s system that it will sound good in yours even if you own the same cartridge. Your system (cables, tonearm, preamp, listening room) is unique and you’ll need to hear it in your system and find the best sounding and matching SUT’s not just for your Cartridge alone, but for the system. If I were you, I would begin with searching on the web what the majority recommend what SUT’s with your cartridge. You might get a few and find them very good, but if you keeping going, eventually you’ll find the one that matches really nice with your system.
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There is no better or worse here. It’s what works out in your system. I’ve heard inexpensive amps outperform expensive amps in a particular setup. So using the MC section of a very good phonostage doesn’t mean it will sound better or worse than using the MM with a SUT. If someone has great synergy with the built in MC then they are fortunate. But if the built in MC isn’t a good sonic balance with the cartridge, a person has a ton of flexibility using the MM section and exploring the many SUT’s available. In my experience, it works out exceptionally well in getting the correct balance, - detail, dynamics, fullness, transparency, naturalness, etc.
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Lewn, if just because it may not work for you doesn’t mean it doesn’t work for someone else. They’re are tons of audiophiles that have a huge inventory of cables, tubes, cartridges as so on with many tweaks. That is because they buy this extra stuff in pursuit of the best sound they can get.
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Atmosphere, I’ve been through that already. The loading is correct on my vinyl. In fact many people do not know that proper loading is usually done from a selector switch on the phonostage in which the switch run through a series of resistors. Someone looking to have there preamp get the proper load for their cartridge is a very simple thing. Just look up the spec on the cartridge and insert the proper resistor in the phono input stage of the preamp. I’m way past the stage you talking about. I’m referring to getting the sound that pleases you and the end result that makes your heart happy when you listen to the vinyl playback. This is not something that is done from a technical point. It is something that your ears and heart tell you is right when you hear it. Sampling with SUT’s is only a small but also very involved part of what one can do to find that perfect sound they’ve been searching for. They’re so many variables in this hobby. Years ago, many people fought the idea that cables don’t make a difference. Today just about every serious audiophile knows they do. And just about every serious audiophile probably has a collection of cables in their inventory. Without me experimenting with various cables my system would never be sounding as good as it does. My system is a mix of Silver and Copper hi end cables. SUT’s not only match the cartridge from a technical point, but they also add their own sound or sonic signature. I have 3 SUT’s that all match my cartridge perfectly, a 1950’s Ampex, 1950’s RCA and a 1950’s Thordarson. The Thordarson in “MY Setup” sounds the best, most relaxed and natural sounding while still plenty of detail, musical, great bass and nice highs and very transparent and engaging. I’m not recommending any particular brand as I’ve been in this hobby for 30 yrs and know what sounds good in my home may not work in another. This is a very involving hobby. I’m not into the hifi fuses that are on the market now but I will say, I have a $200 Synergistic Research fuse on my $6,000 single end 805 tube amp and it sounds great. A friend let me try the fuse and I purchased it. I’m not into the fuse thing but there is a world there also. This is a crazy hobby with no limits.
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Yes 30 yrs and I’m still learning. I have many diehard buddies that been in the hobby longer and are great resources. I live in NYC and here we get access to everything with components, tweaks, designers, great audio clubs.
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Yes I agree that inserting a capacitor at times in series with a resistor gives a more stable and beneficial result. I’m aware that the resistor is for the preamp to see, but one needs to know the specs of the cartridge to insert the correct value resistor. My friend who owned a recording studio in Manhattan heard my setup and said the same thing you’re saying but he did admit my vinyl sounded fantastic. So did my other friend who listens to lot of Reel to Reel, he owns 15 machines, one of his cost $40,000. And another buddy of mine who has one of the best horn speakers posted on YouTube liked my vinyl very much. Point I’m making, I don’t care what people think on how a system should work. I’ve heard the most complexed systems sound great, and the most simple sound bland. And then vice versa. This hobby you cannot put on paper and expect great results. Assembling components together with the correct synergy has worked for me so far.
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So in theory, the factor of insertion of anything shouldn’t improve anything or make anything sound better but in my experience it has at times. For many years, diehard audiophiles used these SUT devices. A very popular SUT is the Altec 4722. Lots of people had fantastic vinyl setups using this SUT. If inserting a SUT isn’t a good idea, explain that to the thousands of serious audio that have done it with great results.
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