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Advice on SUT for Koetsu Rosewood - EAR MC-4, Slagle/EMIA, other

I recently tried a friend's Sound Traditions Hashimoto hm7 transformer-based sut and overall the sound was substantially more Dynamic and alive and generally better than my current Berning preamp MC section. The problem was the images were just so large and the presentation a little too forward for my tastes. I am thinking a different Sut such as the EAR MC- 4 or an Intact Audio (Slagle) Step Up Transformer, copper.

Has anyone used these Sut's and could advise about whether they might do what I'm looking for? I'm hoping to add more dynamics and life but I do prefer a slightly laid-back presentation to a forward one and I don't want giant instruments in the soundstage. I listen to mostly old Jazz and Blues with some rock and classical mixed in. I am not looking for the last word in in treble detail or "air" and my biggest sonic priorities are organic , rich mids, good sounstaging, and a realistic tonal balance that does not accentuate the top end as so many components seem to do (IMHO). So I guess I am looking for a sut with a reputation for musicality and richness, without javing a forward sound. But I would love somethng as amazing sounding as the Hashimoto HM-7 based SUT.

My system is a Koetsu Rosewood Signature (.4mv), Jelco 850M on a Sota Star Sapphire, Berning all-tube bespoke capacitance coupled preamp (46 dB gain on the MM stage, Jensen transformers on the moving coil stage), Quicksilver v4 monos, Verity Audio Pafisals.

Thanks for any thoughts.


montaldo
tomwh
150 posts
 
Montaldo it is great to hear your happy.  Dave knows his stuff and can obviously hear music.  He can do all the math and graphs, but when he is done he listens.

Part of the sound difference is in the materials and the build.  Loading and step up are also in the equation.  You changed multiple variables at the same time.  Dave may jump in with some more thoughts.  You may have got lucky and the ballpark is as goods as it gets.  Regardless you seem to be excited about the results so enjoy.

Enjoy the ride
Tom

montaldo OP
200 posts
 
There was definitely some luck involved but it offsets all the times I have been unlucky with equipment failures, red herring issues, ghosts, phantoms, and just pure stupidity! All the fun of music and audiophilia.
I would like to understand why this sounds so good, but I can live with not knowing in this case and just enjoy the music. It is a real luxury to have all you guys willing to share knowledge. Thanks to all.
Stu
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,781 posts
 
If the cartridge needs additional loading that should be placed at the primary of the SUT to load the cartridge directly. I find secondary loading to make a cartridge behave under various situations to be a sonic band-aid.

Years ago I found it interesting that people who use active gain stages tend to find their MC cartridges insensitive to loading and those who use SUT's can get fanatical about it.
FWIW the loading doesn't do anything for the cartridge at audio frequencies except reduce its output. The loading is audible though, but that is because it detunes the RF resonance caused by the cartridge inductance and the tone arm cable capacitance.
If the preamp is insensitive to RFI the loading doesn't do anything. 47K is therefore an effective load. I've heard loading make a difference but when you get the RFI problems sorted at the phono input, that difference goes away.

While the Jensen is one of the best SUTs available, being best isn't the same as being right for all cartridges for the reasons Dave mentions above. Quality and application are two different things!
But in Stu's system, the problem he described sounded very much like any phono section that isn't getting enough signal. Dynamics wake up, the sound is more vivacious when that is rectified. So comparing the Jensen which is set up for a low boost to a transformer set up for a lot more may not be about the transformers so much as it is the amount of signal presented to the input of the phono section. For that you would have to have both set up as much as possible the same way.

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