Phono Pickup Transformer - What's Good to Get?

Jcbach,

As Ozzy62 rightly pointed out, I have the K&K Audio Lundahl transformer (LL9206) MC step-up. It is really excellent in its sonic performance. These are amorphous core xformers in a mu-metal shielded can. If you do some research on the Internet you'll find that there are 3 types of xformers: mu-metal, permalloy & amorphous core. My research showed that all the highly prized Japanese step-up manuf. use amorphous core xformers as they produced the most natural sonics of all 3 types.
As DougDeacon correctly pointed out - the loading on these is fixed. This is not really a downside as using a MC step-up fixes the highest cart. loading. For eg. the LL9206 can be set for 1:5 or 1:10 or 1:20 & the MAX cart. loading is 1880 Ohms, 470 & 117.5 Ohms respectively. You can go lower in cart. loading by adding a resistor in parallel to the 47K but you cannot go higher! Trying out various loadings is a good feature of the Bent Audio MC step-ups but they cost more than 2X of the K&K Audio. Maybe this feature is worth 2X the price to you?
The K&K Audio xformer gets my enthusiastic recommendation & you'll find dealing with Kevin to be a pleasure. Do visit his website:
http://www.kandkaudio.com

There are some other xformers too (besides the Bent & K&K) such as the AudioNote made in Japan. However, these are very hard to find (I found one on Ebay in Sept) & when found they are very expensive. The one Ebay was made by AudioNote UK & sold for $400. I also saw one made by AudioNote Japan but that one sold for $3000! The Mitchell Cotter step-ups are long gone & those that come up for sale fetch a high price to the lucky VERY aggressive bidder! I know that TWL will never sell his!! :-)

There is a very reasonable priced one sold by Quicksilver Audio ($425). However, the gain is fixed at 23dB, which might or might not work for you. Here's their website:-
http://www.quicksilveraudio.com/products/coil.html

You can also buy a variety of MC step-ups from Jensen (based near L.A.) which range from $105/xformer to $250/xformer. Then, if you are handy, you can make the chassis yourself or have one of your audio buddies make one for you & wire up the xformer. Here's their website:-
http://www.jensen-transformers.com/mc.html
IMHO.
I'm sorry, I don't know of any others.

Check out the Lundahl step up devices offered by K&K Audio. Bombaywalla bought one of these and hopefully he will chime in. I have the K&K phono preamp that uses these transformers and am extremely happy with it.

www.kandkaudio.com

Jcbach,

I'll make two recommendations, depending on whether you already have an easy way to adjust cartridge loading.

If you already have adjustable loading, I don't think you'll beat the K&K trannies at their price point. They sell for $225 in kit form or $300 fully assembled. I haven't heard them but they're reportedly high quality trannies. They also include high quality, integral leadout wires terminated with RCA's, which saves you a connection and a pair of interconnects. K&K is a sponsor over at Audio Asylum.

If don't yet have adjustable loading, the BentAudio Mu trannies that I use include that and they are excellent. Great parts and build quality and very good sonics. FWIW, Arthur Salvatore (www.high-endaudio.com) has A/B'd these against his Cotters and prefers the BentAudios. $645 in kit form or $745 fully assembled and burnt in. My highest recommendation, IMO of course.