Help,Allaerts or Transfiguration

Hi OEM,

The Allaert works well with the very expensive step up transformer from Audionote (uk). I don't know if it works well with others. The two Allaerts I heard have very low outputs that require really high gain and/or a step up transformer. The distributor for the Allaert said that the loading (impedance match) must be pretty much exactly as specified, which, for the Boulder owner, means getting a customized card (even then the gain of the Boulder is not enough).

The Temper V is a nice cartridge, but, if you can swing it, the Phoenix should be on your list. That is a pretty nice sounding cartridge for less than the Orpheus.

Kurt tank,Thank you for your time and effort in giving me the excerpt needed from this review.
I will be contacting the maker of both the cartridge and phono stage for further advise.However I enjoy sleeping peacefully so the Transfiguration may be the way to go.

Just a thought. If you use a SUT, that should protect the Allaerts from DC coming back from the phono stage. In an SE phono stage, the cartridge is wired between the grid of the input tube (or the gate of the transistor) and ground. Don't know about SS, but there will always be a small DC voltage differential between the grid and ground in a tube preamp. How much DC is considered to be a danger to the Allaerts coils? Most LOMCs have very delicate coils, and I have never heard of such a problem with any of them.

Lewn,

Good point. I forgot about the issue of the Allaert having very thin coil wiring, and therefore, being prone to damage from any current from what it is connected. A transformer would cure any DC offset issues.

The super fine coil windings of my "Orpheus" is the main reason(aside from not really needed,with this cartridge)that I sold my Flux Buster demag unit.I too remember reading about the sensitive nature of the Allaerts,but I'd bet many of the top tier cartridges today must be considered similarly.Just a hunch.
Btw,Larry,I found the Temper-v to be quite dynamic.My pal owns a Titan-i,which I LOVE(btw),and I did not get the impression that the Temper-v missed dynamics or slam.Not polite to me,but my phonostage has 75 db of gain.Yet...the Orpheus IS in another league TOTALLY from the Temper-v(which I loved,and would have held onto longer had the importer not been SUCH a nice guy,in giving me the old pricing,so I HAD too move fast).
From what MF stated about the Allaerts(I believe Raul loaned him his MC2 Finish for the review.....and BTW WHERE IS RAUL THESE DAYS??...I hope all is well!!!!!)it was on the polite side,and was recommended with acoustical music,or small ensemble pieces,for best results.That was only what I read,so it is meaningless if there are those owners who "know better".
I have owned four different generations of Transfiguration cartridges(before that four generations of Koetsus,hmm).Each generation of "TRANNYS" was decidedly better than the last,but none was so decidedly superior to the last generation as the Orpheus!!STUPENDOUS!!!!
One important point about the Transfiguration line,as I have friends who have owned more than me...."You cannot kill them".They are like an old Honda!!They will perform "like new" for way longer than one would think.Both I and a friend had the original Temper for eight years.The ONLY reason I moved up,from there,was a "sweetheart deal" on the next generation.NO service problems,over 9 different cartridges,between us(and we were clutzes at times)!!!!!THAT should say something!
Best to all,and a "healthy, happy" holiday season!