Seperate phono stage v.s. step up transformer


Fellow analog lovers help me with this dilemma. I have a Teres 265 turntable with a Graham 2.2 arm and a Lyra Helikon cartirdge. I just purchased a new preamp that has a terrific phono stage but, its' sensitivity is 2mV @47Kohms and the Lyra cartridge is only 0.22mV.
So I have 3 choices, get a new cartridge, get a seperate phono stage, or a step up transformer.
What would those of you with more experience in these things do? If it is change cartridge, which one? If seperate phono stage, which one? If a step up transformer can be used without sacrificing any detail, dynamics, etc. which one?
Thanks ahead of time to any of you that answer these questions.
agaffer

Showing 1 response by napoleoinbonaparde6ebd

“ I still have questions related to the original premise of this thread ... namely the merits of a separate phono stage vs. transformer.”

Jyprez,

There are two things: the question you asked and the answer you are wiling to accept.

You asked a fairly global and fairly serious question about contribution of the properly implemented magnetic core into signal path at MC level but all that you want to hear, as an answer is a positive reinforcement to buy or not the specific “product”.

There is a big different between a specific product and marginal capacity of class/topology. You did not ask: I have my Helikon and CJ phonocorrectors, so will the Bent’s transformer good enough or bad enough to handle my cartridge and my correctors. Instead you asked a genetic quest, and as usually you received in response the ”wisdom” of the Patricia Barber’s subscribers drooling over the black boxes that they have home on their shelves and bitching about whatever they never heard. If you would like to have a useful help you should learn to ask the intelligent questions or at least to make in your question the correction for the “intelligence” of the local “advisers”.

I wish you the best luck on your journey,
Romy the Cat