Dear Kha: I have to disagree a little with you about the electronics to use with the IO.
A few years ago the Audio Note dealer, that's a very good friend of mine, and because an audio expo bring to it almost the best electronics audio items from Audio Note including the Ongaku.
Out of the expo in his audio rooms and in my system we try hard with the IO cartridge, Audio Note step up transformers, I can't remember if the preamp was the M7 or the M77, tonearms from: AN, Ikeda, Micro Seiki and SAEC, speakers: Jm Labs, AN, Maggies, Meridian,etc,, Preamps: AN, Cello, Klyne, Rowland and my self design, TT's: Micro Seiki, Denon, VPI and AN.
As good as is the IO cartridge with own AN electronics the quality sound was better ( especially at frequency extremes ) through the Cello and in my own design preamplifier.
With all the tonearms the IO was great but ( for my taste ) in the Ikeda and Micro Seiki the sound was more natural.
I have no doubt about the build quality of the AN step up transformer but even at that high quality level those AN step up transformer degraded the signal that pass through them and the quality sound reproduction.
Karl, you have to hear the IO cartridge with a good high gain active Phonolinepreamp: there is a difference for the better. Well at least that was my audio experience about.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
