Need MC Step-Up Transformer advice?

No bad feeling Raul. I have absolutely no idea what you are saying. Could you repost in proper English?

Hi Steve

I have been using step-ups for a number of years, and they are not half as bad as people make them out to be. If fact, I much prefer the gain from a step up to active amplification.

If you are on the cautious side and do not want to spend a boatload of money, I would suggest you give Kevin at K&K a call. You can buy a Lundahl kit step-up or (I have been told) he will sell you an already assembled step-up. Considering their modest price, I give them 11 out of 10 for sonics.

On another thread there is a short discussion on burning in step-ups. This is a procedure that you need to do to get the step-up to sound its best.

Regards
Paul

Ps. I am not affiliated with K&K in any way. I am simply a (very) satisfied client.

Rather bizarre view that a step-up’s inability to conduct DC should be seen as a negative point. Especially considering that speakers, cartridges and amplifier have the same inability to conduct DC. Maybe we should get rid of them too?

Having recently replaced a stepped attenuator (i.e. discrete resistor) with a transformer-based attenuator in my pre-amp, it is glaringly obvious that a step-up introduces less coloration than even a single high quality resistor.

So how active amplification device, which will contain 1.) many resistors, 2.) many capacitors, 3.) many transistors and/or vacuum tubes, 4.) 30db (or more) of negative feedback (transistor phono), 5.) many different wires (or god forbid, pc boards!), 6.) many solder points, 7) a power supply (!!!!!) 8.) possibly a few regulators, etc, would induce less coloration to a low level signal than a single high quality transformer is simply bizarre.

Having built many amplifiers over a number of years, it has become clear that isolating the very small and fragile MC signal from noise and distortions emanation from the components of within an amplifier is not a trivial task. I have yet to hear a MC phono amplifier that does not raise the noise floor and rob the signal of some low level detail.

Step-ups are not perfect and will impact the signal with some residue. So does each and every component of an amplification device. Do the math.

Regards
Paul

Hi Mustang. Agreed. Some people post simply because they are infatuated by their own flawed opinions. Said individual goes a long way to validate that statement.

Regards
Paul

Hi Sojs. Agreed, only personal experience counts.

You compare a step-up + SA-9 to MCP-33, yet you think the problem was the step-up only? The comparison is not valid.

I have compared high and low output carts on the same phono pre amp; the low output carts with a step-up. The low output cart with step-up was always a little bit better - more speed, more detail, more sparkle.

Having used (and liked) tx103s I find it strange that you consider them un-involving and lacking in dynamics. Apart from an issue with your phono, it is possible the step-up where not burned in as you think. Unless you drive them many hundred hours with about 2.0-5.0 mV they will never burn in. No amount of time behind a low output MC will ever run them in; in fact they slowly go green again.

As a rule I give my step-ups long burn in times with approx. 2.0-3.0 mV input every couple of months (when I can remember).

Agreed that step-ups are quieter. For signals lower than approx. 1.0 mV active amplification is simply too noisy.

I use vacuum tube phono only once the signal exceeds 2.0mV, and never ever use transistor phono or pre-amplification. Transistors make my Koetsu and Benz Ref sound like a $100 CD player. Some people like that sound so they can run MC transistor phonos.

My preference is step-ups plus a vacuum tube MM phono stage rather than active MC phono.

Regards
Paul

Hi Steve (Sojs). From your description your setup sounds very good and by no means did I infer otherwise. Nor am I inferring (like some other poster continually does) that you are somehow lacking in discerning between 'good' and 'bad' sound. I am sure your ear is good.

My comments pertaining to the tx103s were because your description of its performance (compressed/constrained) is similar to mine but with green step-ups.

Regards
Paul