Some cartridge recommendations

Dear @westcoastaudiophile :No, I never listened and I never do in my system due that around 16-18 years ago we designed and builded an active high gain phonolinepreamp that was the Essential 3150 and today is the 3180.

Even that I still own some SUT’s coming from Denon, Audiocraft and Entré but several years ago I used maybe almost " all " the vintage top japanese SUT’s and no one came wired balanced. The today units still own all are upgraded/updated for me and in the Entré I tested it balanced vs unbalanced and at least in my room/ system I did not listen any advantage in the balanced way and I have to say that the MM stage in the Essential is second to none.

I posted and post about SUT’s when some audiophiles ask for..

Of my SUT’s I have connected in my system the Denon AU-1000 that I’m almost sure is the best SUT ever and today almost imposible to beats it.

The name of the game in SUT’s is the quality level design, build and excecution to that design. Denon transformers were made by Tamura-San where the ones in the 1000 are superior to the ones in the 340. Those kind of transformers does not exist any more.

Here you can read about the Denon AU-1000 that I own:

http://20cheaddatebase.web.fc2.com/needie/NDdenon/AU-1000.html

https://www.denon.jp/ja-jp/museum/products/au1000.html

Btw, I have nothing against the Phasemation.

R.

Dea @westcoastaudiophile  : Obviously you don't know the very high quality transformers in the vintage AU-340 where this SUT beats with out doubt the ones you mentioned. 

Been a vintage SUT this Denon can even be up-graded with internal rewiring ( no rocket science. ) and new top input/output connectors even if you want it XLR you can do it. If you can find out just buy it .

Btw, here some of its specs: 

Denon AU-340 Audio Step Up Transformer Manual | Vinyl Engine

R.

@backwash  : The Denon AU 340 beats almost all  today SUTs under 3K-4K and you can find out for less than 1K and this is just an example what I'm talking about. Is up to you:

R.

Dear @backwash  : "  compared to streaming Qbuz  ". Today not only digital beats ecven top analog alternative that you should not make comparisons in between due that the signal sound that you listen is proccessed in two way different ways that are not comparable in between: apples vs bananas..

Now you can improve your analog quality level response if you change the cartridge ( MC10 ) for a MM/MI new cartridge that does not needs SUT and today MM are really good. This one can do for you:

Dear @backwash  : Your SUT it's just not up to the task for quality. You need at least the Ortofon T-20 por the Denon AU-340, any of these will makes a quality way differences for the better.

Other thing that could improve your analog quality level is to make a check up to the cartridge/tonearm set up in parameters as: offset angle, overhang, etc that need to stay spot-on according the protractor you use. You can too fine tunning the sound " playing " alittle with the cartridge VTA

mijostyn, nominal output of the MC-10 is 0.1mv.

R.

Dear @backwash : You own an integrated unit that seems a good one.

For the posts I can see that no one owned the original Ortofon MC10. I owned and after the Denonn 103 the MC10 was my true " first " LOMC cartridge with really high quality level performance, so you don’t need to change it due that you said that your uncle almost not used.

Your manufacturer says that the phono stage can handled MM and HO MC cartridges and your Ortofon MC10 is a LOMC cartridge so you will need an external SUT as the Denon AU-340 that you can buy through ebay. This step up transformer is of very high quality even that the model is a vintage one, I still own this Denon 340 and comes with the needed rigth gain for the MC10.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.