RCA to balanced

When you can afford it, buy a true balanced phono stage to go with your balanced linestage. Then, you've got something.

I don't usually think I can catch John in error, but in this case I think it's better to say that SUTs or any transformer, can alter the ratio of current to voltage of whatever is put into it. In the case of a SUT, voltage of the phono signal goes up and current goes down. This enables the cartridge's output signal better able to drive the downstream phono stage. Transformers per se do not supply gain. I am absolutely sure John knows this better than I. But readers can go off with the wrong idea.

yeah. ok. But someone who does not know the "common" usage of the term gain might go away thinking that a transformer is an active element. That's all I was trying to clarify.