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FIDELITY RESEARCH STEP-UP TRANSFORMERS

Dear All
Like many before me I am moving down the multi tonearm route. Amongst the arms and cartridges I have are a Fidelity Research FR 64S and denon DL103. I was thinking about trying out one of the Fidelity research step-up transformers - preferably an FRT 4, or FRT 5 - I hope to get an FR7 cartridge at some point.

I was wondering if someone could:
1. shed light on the hierarchy of the transformers ie was the 4 or 5 the better model
2. would they work well plugged into any MM phono stage
3. what is the general hierarchy of the step-ups
4. Do they work well with modern cartridges - ie my shelter 501, transfiguration temper v, Benz LPS

I am hoping that someone will be able to help me

thanks



lohanimal
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
@nandric used 47 Labs phono cube goes for $1500 minimum, new it was very expensive device. Phono cube itself is very compact, but power supply is big and heavy, together it was about $3k new. This product is no longer available from 47Labs (discontinued model). 

Someone even cracked it up and made a replica for less $$$
nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 
Dear chakster, You should write your poem about 47 Lab Cube
before they discontinued the precious. 
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
Sadly Miyabi 47 and its predecessors MCA,Standard also discontinued, but this is not the reason to ignore them. 

New Current Injection phono stages still available from several manufacturers for much higher price than my 47 Labs
bukanona
174 posts
 
If to give comment about  XF-1 L.

It's dead silent, SN ratio is superb, shielding is something special.
 
It's not the best also but it doesn't looked shy near upper league transformers
. 
So as about sound it has no colour but all details are present. It's pretty close to AN, Neumann etc. Close but some juice is missing. But really not much. I think  Denon AU-S1 MC Step Up is more versatile but for my liking XF-1L is better as it works only up to 3 ohms.
Although as about Denon  AU-S1 I am not believer that it can work from 3 up to 40 ohms. I would make a bet 20-40 ohms as the optimum range.

Ag insider logo xs@2x
rauliruegas
13,095 posts
 
Dear @lohanimal  : All my SUT's were modified and the 340 outperforms almost any vintage or today SUT but the AU-1000 ( the weigth of this SUT: 12kg. and frequency response range : 5hz to 200khz . ) and others that I never experienced.

Audio Technica SUT's as the 1000T or 700T are really good too and its today  model seems to me as something to own and probably extremely hard to beat:

https://www.audio-technica.com/cms/accessories/1211e0cd29d5d0aa/index.html

As you I own an active phonolinestage device. Your Vendetta is a good one.

Even that I don't know your other cartridges you own I think that you need better carrtridges than your Transfiguration or Denon entry level 103 that I owned/own. You can stay with Transfiguration that are excellent quality performers like the Proteus one.

The SUT's you ask for are in the mediocrity/average range and could work with mediocre/average LOMC cartridges like your 103 but not for top performers.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.
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