Need MC Step-Up Transformer advice?

Yikes, here we go again.
Keep your head down Rotary914 because I hear... INCOMING!!!

For the record:
- some of us love them
- some of us tolerate them
- one of us hates them with a fiery passion

I believe that covers the entire range of attitudes. Hopefully you will be spared the umpteenth rehash of this topic with all its associated gore.

The most experienced stepup user I know is 'munna' on VA. He owns over twenty different ones. I know which ones work best with my cartridges, but that means nothing to you since my cartridges are not Benz's. I'd suggest asking over there. Perhaps munna's got Benz experience to match his tranny experience.

Regards,
Doug

P.S. I drive a rotary RX-8. What's a rotary 914? An old Porsche with a Wankel?

Gregadd,
If we're taking double shots, Glenmorangie would hold my attention better!

213cobra,
Very interesting summary, thank you. The only transformers I have long experience with are my S&B's from BentAudio. I don't know whether you'd consider them expensive, but noisy they most definitely are not. Mine have had a dead silent background at all times, both in my system and in every other system where I've tried them.

Dear Doug: Now, I think that you can understand the why's of our ZYX differences in opinions: ... I think Larry too and the transformer coupled phonopreamp of Patrick is the same.

Heh. I may use stepup transformers but none of Larry's three phono preamps has one. Nor does Patrick's. Better check your facts.

Larry, Patrick and I have different phono stages but we all like ZYX cartridges. Allow me to draw a conclusion: they're pretty good. Perhaps you've never heard one properly set up on a well-matched arm.

Unfortunatelly all of you never know for sure which is the real performance of the ZYX cartridges till you have the right phonopreamp.

Your one-man campaign against ZYX makes it likely that you've only heard them with the WRONG phonopreamp. That is the logical explanation for an attitude which no one else seems to share.

FWIW, I've heard ZYX (and other) cartridges with at least twelve different phono stages. Some were all SS. Some were all tube. Some were SS + tube. Some were stepup transformers + tube. How many do I need to hear before I'll "know for sure" what a cartridge sounds like? Will you send me a diploma? ;-)