Can I use a step up transformer?

Dear @halcro : All of us have to deal with each one audio system distortions, this is the real " name of the game ". I mentioned in my last post only because @thuchan gives no facts/explanation to his statements.


Additional @thuchan posted:

""" personal conclusion is you need an excellent phono stage like the EMT JPA 66 or the Boulder 2008 avoiding SUTs .. """ after this he posted SUT alternative is a better one but even if he did not posted this he gave two PLP that he took as his references on active high gain designs and for me that I listened one of them neither is a real reference. One of these units is all tube design and with several other negative factors too.

I prefer by a wide margin the unit you own that I know very well.

He posted too:

""" I found quite some limitations with ’active’ phono stages that ’passive’ SUTs overcome. """

with out explain those limitations and he told me that my comments are theoretical, go figure!

In the other side @thuchan is talking about the use of external SUTs. Coming from him this makes no sense to me.

Makes sense to you?

I insist on an explanation from his part because I think he could have something really new in his hands that my ignorance level can’t understand and as always I’m willing to learn especially in an analog subject so critical, sensitive and important.

I’m sure that he can put some true light here in benefit of all of us music lovers and audiophiles. Tha’s all.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.


PS.: Btw, I’m not against SUTs per se ( even I’m using now. ), things are that I’m in favor of MUSIC. Nothing else.

Please let me know, if for example: I own an active high gain PS designed for MC cartridges with at least an output of 0.3mv and things are that I own a cartridge with a lower output ( say: 0.20mv. ) that I really can't use it with.

Maybe you should pick a better example. The 0.2mV cart. will only be 3.5dB down from one with 0.3mV output. This should be well with-in any system capability to compensate with the volume control. I doubt that the 3.5dB increase in noise would be noticed. E.g. I recently assembled a phono pre for a customer that was MM input only. My TT has a cart. installed with an output of 0.4mV. To test the unit I ran my low output cart. into its MM input. Other than some extra noise noticeable when the music was not playing, it was an enjoyable listening experience. BTW, the MM unit I was testing was a tube design.

Dear @john_tracy :  The example per se was not the subject and only a reference to know which explanation has the gentleman that posted:

"""  Using higher output cartridges you are facing several disadvantages you need to tackle at the matching process. """

Maybe you need to read again some of the posts in this tread to understand it better.

In the other side you can't diminsh in any way those " only 3.5 db down " because we are not talking here to listen " only sound " but about top quality level sound reproduction.

"""  compensate with the volume control .. """" but this is not the main subject ( again. ) because at the performance level we are talking here we don't want higher noise/distortions but to stay at minimum.

3.5dbs means that the PLP needs to double the power and if the PLP was designed for at least 0.3mv output cartridges then its specs/overall characteristics could change in dramatic way.


Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

Dear Halcro,
Regarding your question of tuning the SUT by changing the capacitance I would not recommend doing it. You are creating a somehow high pass filter similar to a loudspeaker X-over.

3.5dbs means that the PLP needs to double the power and if the PLP was designed for at least 0.3mv output cartridges then its specs/overall characteristics could change in dramatic way.

We're talking voltage gain here, not power. If a phono pre is designed to handle 0.3mV cart. it will handle a 0.2mV cart. just fine. The only "cost" is a 3.5dB loss of S/N ratio when one supplies the extra 3.5dB of gain with the following line stage using the volume control. The phono pre does not have to double its power. Now if that extra noise is enough to kill a quality listening experience for you then you are entitled to your opinion.

As far as changing "characteristics" (its not clear what you are referring to here), if this were the case then your theoretical phono pre designed for 0.3mV cart. would not be able to play quiet passages without changing its overall characteristics. Presumably it should be able to handle from 0.0mV - well over 0.3mV so why should a cart. with less output change its "characteristics"? Like I mentioned, I played a 0.4mv cart. on a MM phono pre designed for 4.0mV cart., a 20dB difference. Other than the extra noise, no other changes.

BTW, I have read the whole tread and some of the posters here remind me of medieval clerics sitting around arguing over how many angels will fit on the head of a pin.