New cart, step-up or ???

Dear Swampwalker: Stay away of step-up transformers, always do a heavy degratdation to the music/sound reproduction.

++++ "and the volume is fine at about 11:30-12:30 .."++++

If you don't have any compliant about and you don't have residual hum/noise, then you do nothing.

Now, you can up-grade the quality sound reproduction of your system, change your cartridge for a Sumiko Celebration ( output: 0.5mv ), this one will be great in you analog rig and the whole system, better than any Shelther ( but the 90X ). Btw, the Celebration is the century bargain: great performer.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Hi Swamp: Like the SUT the head amp do a degradation to the signal, too.
Please read to my last post to you, maybe there you can find the answer to your " problem " ( I don't know if you really have a problem ).

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Lugnut: You disagree because like other peoples here don't understad what happen when a signal goes through a SUT and ( perhaps ) because you don't understand the live music.

Btw, how many hours do you dedicated to hear live music each month?
This question is for every single person that " loves " SUTs, too. Don't be shy ( all of you ) and post your answer.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Wc65mustang: Many. I really learn several audio topics in this forum every day.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Lugnut: Tks for your answer. It is incredible that with all your great live music experience you are in love with step up transformers: Do you think that if the signal has to pass for additional stages in a SUT: cables, connectors, transformers, etc, etc, this can be an improvement in the signal against direct path in a high gain phonopreamp?

Any signal that has to pass for additional audio stages suffer a high/heavy degradation and that's what happen with the signal on a SUT. No question about.

+++++ " You do not like tubes, insultingly calling them equalizers " +++++

I'm not insulting. I named for its true name: all them are a very expensive natural assorted equalizers. No question about. You and any one can't change that fact.

+++++ " You don't like my cartridge and likely have never heard one " +++++

I already heard three differents ZYX cartridges and I confirm here that the ZYX are faulty at both extremes of the frecuency range, especially at the bottom end.
In the past I already post opinions of people that does not like the ZYX quality sound reproduction, here it is one more about:

+++++ " to Analog heaven and I must confess.I was very distressed with the sound of any ZYX cartridge I heard including the Universe.The ZYX was colored ,cold sounding ,thin,somewhat brittle.It was like someone turned up an equiliser +6 dbs or more from the midband all the way up to the 20k region.I would say from about 5k to 20 k this cartridge has a steep high freq. rise,But maybe not but it sure sounds like that.
Yes it does sound artificially fast at first,But I heard no acoustic trail following any loud passages.I could hear no ambient information at all on any recordings.The midbass on the catridge is way to lean,and I could not hear any deep low bass power at all.Even the midbass was to light and lean.
The Lyra Titan was much better and accurate then the ZYX " +++++

This person had these experiences at the last Audiofest. I agree with him.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Lugnut: This is not the first opinion of other person about sound reproduction quality problems on ZYX cartridges, I already post others ones.

No, I'm not a dealer or have any affiliation with any manufacturer.

About your questions to which ZYX cartridges I already heard, please go to my past posts about, I repeat that information at least three times.

Which are your deep suspicions.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.