Preamp Deal of the Century

Greetings, fellow Supratek owners.

The topic of this post is to ask whether anyone here is using a step up transformer with their Supratek preamp with the LCR phono stage. If so, what kind are you using and how are you setting it up?

I am in the process of evaluating several SUTs and a Hagerman transimpedance device directly into my system. I turn down the input gain so it doesn't overload the phono circuit and it seems to work well. I'm enjoying the effect of the SUTs. In some ways they remind me of a subtle DBX system (anybody remember those from back in the '80s?) That is, they seem to increase the dynamics. 

So, anybody else been down this path before?

@marcusthenaimnut,

 I am no expert, but what you are doing doesn’t make sense to me. The Cortese has a very high gain phono stage, I have one myself. You are turning down the gain on the Moving Coil pre, then boosting it back up with step up transformers? 
 

SUT’s work with Moving Magnet phono stages that have a 47k loading. You cant set the load to 47k on an MC phono stage. 

Charliee -

I agree that it makes no sense. It is a trick I learned before when I was using a high output moving magnet cartridge to not overload the phono stage. It was a workaround and I did actually learn something about the way that various SUTs influence the sound.

I've now got the system reconfigured so I'm driving them into my external moving magnet phono stage. It is working a lot better. I'm a little bit on the fence about whether to add one. As you know the LCR phono stage in the Cortese is superb. Having said that, the SUT I'm trying (Clayton base with Altec 15095 transformers) plus the Hagerman Piccolo Zero transimpedance head amp do add some excitement to the sound. More dynamic. It is one of those little differences that sometimes we kind of obsess about.