Need MC Step-Up Transformer advice?

Dougdeacon- bet you did not see that coming? Raul took a double shot tubes and transformers.

Gregadd,
If we're taking double shots, Glenmorangie would hold my attention better!

213cobra,
Very interesting summary, thank you. The only transformers I have long experience with are my S&B's from BentAudio. I don't know whether you'd consider them expensive, but noisy they most definitely are not. Mine have had a dead silent background at all times, both in my system and in every other system where I've tried them.

Doug, I agree. The noise level of my Mu is beyond my listening level. The hiss of the 50s classical reissue recordings are far more pronounced. Besides, those before mentioned issues are all theoretical, which are insignificant. What matters is wether you like the sound or not.

Dear friends: The SUT issue is a extremly critical one and many of you prefer to go " around " like the ostrich that " hide the head " for nobody see it.

If you really cares about music then take a look: any one of us have a special love for music and music reproduction at home. We all prefer analog over digital. I think that all of us are looking for the best quality sound reproduction from a LP's. That's why we invert a lot of money and a lot of time with our analog rig: from a MMF-7 to a Rockport/Walker TT, from a Shure V to an Allaerts or Koetsu cartridges, from Rega RB 300 to Air Tangent tonearms, and the like. We take our time setting our analog rig. VTA on each LP, VTF, overhang, Azymuth, clamps, plataforms, etc, etc.
We do all those things because we want that the signal that goes through our phonopreamp will be the purer one with out or minimal degradation and what happen when that " be loved " signal has to be amplified ? , that that signal from a low output MC cartridge has to pass for a SUT that do a severe/heavy degradation to the original signal: this is unfair to you that invert thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours for that signal goes through a piece of wires ( tha's is what is a SUT ) that you buy it for a couple of coins.
Somebody " take our hair " about SUT's. You and any one deserves in any way the terrible job that the SUT is making with your quality music sound reproduction.
As I already told about, the SUT is a Patch a very bad one. There is no justification for that today any one of you still use any SUT, it does not matters design or price.

There is no synergy between low output MC cartridges and tube phono preamps and less than that there is no synergy between SUT's and quality music sound reproduction.
The problem is not on your phono preamp the problem is in that you buy the wrong cartridge for your phono preamp. Your phono preamp is for high output MC cartridges and MM cartridges. I already told in other thread: the MM cartridges are really great performers that in many ways put on shame many of the big names low output MC cartridges: Grado, Rega, Ortofon, Clearaudio, Linn, Roksan, etc, etc. You have to try because if you insist in the SUT use then you never know what is recorded on the LP.
Now if you want to go for the low output MC cartridges then you have to go for phono preamps that can handle it with out SUT: Boulder, Rowland, Ayre, FM Acoustics, Mark Levinson, Krell, Halcro, Classe, Sutherland, The Groove and the like, there is no other options and this is only if you care about music and cares about the quality music sound reproduction through an audio system at home.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Phil, very educational post.

Pauly: +++++ " So how active amplification device, which will contain 1.) many resistors, 2.) many capacitors, 3.) many transistors and/or vacuum tubes, 4.) 30db (or more) of negative feedback (transistor phono), 5.) many different wires (or god forbid, pc boards!), 6.) many solder points, 7) a power supply (!!!!!) 8.) " +++++

You really don't know nothing about the design of a phono preamp: all phono stages ( with or with out SUT's ) already have the gain stages, the SUT is an additional stage !!!!.

+++++ " Having recently replaced a stepped attenuator (i.e. discrete resistor) with a transformer-based attenuator in my pre-amp, it is glaringly obvious that a step-up introduces less coloration than even a single high quality resistor. " +++++

You are really ignorant about. I can't lost my time with people like you that " open the mouth " only because you have it. Sorry, no bad feelings.

Styx: +++++ " . Besides, those before mentioned issues are all theoretical, which are insignificant. What matters is wether you like the sound or not. +++++ "

First those issues are not theoretical: are facts. Second : are not insinificants, are really a danger for the music signal.

If you think that what matters is wether you like or not, then we are talking about different things: I'm talking about quality music sound reproduction, can you understand this statement?

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.