Jim
Thanks again for your quick response & the invite, I'm in the Chicago area.
All step up transformers are passive devices. What they do is convert the current coming out of the cartridge to voltage which is what your line stage preamp and phono preamp inputs are looking for. Most importantly they match the internal impedance of your cartridge's coils to the input impedance of the input of your MM phono preamp. They also raise the gain so you can/must plug the output of the step up transformer into a MM phono preamp for the RIAA conversion (a lot quieter that increasing the gain on an active phono preamp). There are a lot of people who feel that this adds a lot of drive and energy and life and clarity to the sound as opposed to just using a phono preamp (active). It's supposed to sound much better (if everything is properly matched). Remmember, not everyone agrees.
The Ikeda step up transformer is supposed to be a great match for their low impedance and low output cartridges (retail is $4800.00) so it's not cheap (but what in this hobby is?) Look at this Youtube video of Peter Breuninger doing a video review of the 9GSS cartridge with the IST-201 step up transformer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LKEdM_j1aM
Best regards
Scot
Thanks again for your quick response & the invite, I'm in the Chicago area.
All step up transformers are passive devices. What they do is convert the current coming out of the cartridge to voltage which is what your line stage preamp and phono preamp inputs are looking for. Most importantly they match the internal impedance of your cartridge's coils to the input impedance of the input of your MM phono preamp. They also raise the gain so you can/must plug the output of the step up transformer into a MM phono preamp for the RIAA conversion (a lot quieter that increasing the gain on an active phono preamp). There are a lot of people who feel that this adds a lot of drive and energy and life and clarity to the sound as opposed to just using a phono preamp (active). It's supposed to sound much better (if everything is properly matched). Remmember, not everyone agrees.
The Ikeda step up transformer is supposed to be a great match for their low impedance and low output cartridges (retail is $4800.00) so it's not cheap (but what in this hobby is?) Look at this Youtube video of Peter Breuninger doing a video review of the 9GSS cartridge with the IST-201 step up transformer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LKEdM_j1aM
Best regards
Scot