SUT Advice - Which Ones Are The Best?
@edgewear : Not good for me because I owned for years the Denon AU-1000. Other owners or possible buyers have to know that works with no problem and not because I said it but because there is no technical reason why can’t do it . Rigth now I’m enjoying the vintage LOMC Azden cartridge that has 0.25mv. I tested dozens of vintage and today LOMC cartridges bis-bis using both: my active high gain and the Denon SUT and till today I never noted an anomaly or anomalies that could came for that impedance issue. R. |
Dear @edgewear : "
and not suitable for low impedance cartridges.." From where or which is or are the reasons for your statement about the AU-1000. I never read something like this about that SUT and my first hand experiences with told me that's false or at least somewhere misunderstood. I'm really interested in your comment on. R. |
@edgewear : The Denon performs very good with any LOMC cartridge impedance I experienced, no single trouble whith that I been aware off. I even listening with the Ortofon MC2000 and due to its extreme low output I only heard some noise but nothing that avoid to listen to that cartridge, yes not confortable at all but other than that cartridge I never had and have any worry about impedance. I run the MM stage at 47k and at 100k and seems to me that works a little better at 100k. Could be good for you and everyone to read next approach/explanation about SUTs: http://www.rothwellaudioproducts.co.uk/html/mc_step-up_transformers_explai.html Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R. |
Dear @edgewear : "
I've compared dozens of low impedance MC's with mixed results, but generally speaking Ortofon SPU, FR 7, Ikeda 9 and Miyabi seem to prefer a SUT in the signal path (with some preferring silver wire over copper wire and vice versa), while Ortofon A95, MC Anna and Transfiguration Proteus sounded much better with active amplification..."" Like you I did and do the same SUT vs active cartridge quality comparisons where both phono stages ( MC and MM ) has the same quality level performance. I own and owned several SUTs and by coincidence two of them that I still have came by Entré, I own too the AT 1000T that is dedicated for the AT MC1000 cartridge that you own, I own too 2 modified by me Denon SUTs the 340 and the AU1000. I'm using this last for the latest comparisons. Here its unique characteristics: http://20cheaddatebase.web.fc2.com/needie/NDdenon/AU-1000.html Look its wide frequency range and its heavy weigth. Well, any vintage and today cartridge performs really really good with the AU-1000 but overall can't even the high gain active stages quality performance levels in my phonolinepreamp. Yes, near but not match it. Btw, if you can and due that you have not preference on these alternatives try to get the AU-1000. As a fact I can live easily with the SUT in my system but the high gain active alternative is the ultimate way to go. Of course that everything is dependent of the whole design quality levels of any active high gain unit. Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R. |
Dear @itsjustme : " You think a gain stage, amplifying a 0.05-0.5mV signal by another 10-20X has no distortion? Do you realize how lower the power supply noise must be? " To your first question I don’t posted " has no distortion " and for the second question yes " I realize " because I have first hand experience in the overall/whole design and manufacture of a top phonolinepreamp that today can compete bis a bis CH, Vitus, SimAudio, Gryphon, Dan D’Agostino, Dartzeel, etc, etc and where no all tube unit including Lamm can't touch it. "" also not convinced that the active stage is a no brainer. "" As I said it depends of the whole design. Our phonolinepreamp is an active high gain SS fully balanced/differential true dual mono input to output, inverse RIAA eq. with measured deviation of 0.015db both channels ( includes a switchable Neumann corner. ), class A amp, non-feedback, four layers circuit boards, all input/output connectors soldered directly to the circuit boards ( no single wire here. ), external dual mono power supply and a third for the logic card, bipolar devices for the dedicated MC stages and FET for the dedicated MM stages, matched and hand selected active/passive parts, very wide overload margin, true low noise, a stand alone logic card with its own power supply, etc, etc, etc. R. |
Dear @antigrunge2 : I’m with you because it’s what you are listening but with all respect to ZYX and obviously to you if the Artisan+SUT outperforms the Artisan MC stage then what you need is not a SUT but a better phono stage design. The Artisan has to many gain stages ( 4 ), not very good RIAA deviation with a 0.4db swing: to high, input resistor wound by hand by ZYX: sorry again those resistors can’t compare its quality levels to Vishay or Caddok that are non-inductive like the ZYX ones. I can’t argue against what you like and only point out some " high-ligths " that came from its design. Take a look to the KTE MK1 ( the OP owns the MK5 that’s way better yet. ) that is the Valav LCR 1 in this shoot-out: http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/LCR-RIAA-shootout.htm a picture of the MK5: https://www.kitsunehifi.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/LCR1-MK5-3-scaled.jpg Engineering design level, parts selection design, circuit boards design and excecution quality of that design makes a difference in active high gain phono stages. Not all are almost the same. R. |
Dear @snackeyp : In good shape: why do you want to degrade the valuable and sensitive cartridge signal ? There is no way that your Kleos can in any way sounds with better quality level through a SUT in your system when you own a very good phono preamp that handled any LOMC cartridge. When you add a SUT to your specific system you are adding an additional stage with severe limitations in frequency range against your KTE unit and other issues down there but additional you need to use an IC cable with additional connectors at both ends of the cable from where the cartridge signal must travel through and in all that " travel " the signal is degrading and developing additional ( every kind. ) distortions: you are contaminating that beloved MUSIC signal. Yes, through the SUT will sounds different and probably you can like it but what you like it is a true inferior quality level. The SUT " party " of other gentlemans here is with all respect a party where you don't need to participate, their system specific needs are different from yours. Anyway you can try and can participate too in the " party ". Is your call. Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R. |
