Looking For A Dialogue Around Using An Ortofon MC2000 In My Current System

I have already suggested that you contact Intact Audio. Another source for a proper transformer would be Jensen in California. They may be able to custom build you a SUT with a high enough turns ratio to accommodate your MC2000. (Or maybe they even make one already; check their website.) As I mentioned to you, I am using mine in a Dynavector DV505, with a lightweight CF headshell. Results are satisfactory, but I don’t know if they are optimal as I have not tried other lightweight tonearms. Gordon Holt in his original review back when pointed out that the weight of the cartridge itself, combined with its high compliance, meant that you optimally need a 5g tonearm for best resonant frequency. Not too many tonearms fulfill that strict criterion, maybe an Infinity Black Widow or one of the lightweight ADC tonearms. The theoretical problem with the DV505 is that although the vertical effective mass is at least in the right ballpark, with a light headshell, its horizontal effective mass is much higher, somewhat like a typical SL tonearm. Anyway, your MC2000 will certainly "work" in the DV505 for the time being at least.

By the way, the MC2000 is also a good candidate for a current-driven phono stage, which might not cost much more than a custom SUT.  Curent equals voltage divided by resistance.  .05mV/2 ohms = .025mA.  Some other LOMC cartridges commonly used with current drive don't make as much current as the MC2000. You still need lots of gain, though.

@mrwigglewm 

Yes there was a brief mention of Intact and that you do use a DV505 with the MC2000. I started this thread to have a bit more in depth conversation than we had and get different perspectives to see what is possible. 

With the Supex headshell the vertical mass of the DV505 will be fine. I wonder about the horizontal mass, and I do admit to being concerned about the long term effects and if a cantilever can end up being skewed because of the higher mass. 

The SME V at 10 grams should keep resonance within bounds, its going to be low but should be usable. Ideally a carbon fiber black widow would work, but most of these low mass arms are intended for high compliance cartridges...that do not have a body that weighs 11 grams. So how to get enough counterweight to balance it to 1 gram tracking weight is a challenge. 

Jensen does make a transformer that provides 30 dB of gain, its a custom order. The question becomes how well shielded it is. That I cannot find info out on. The vintage transformers seem to have become fetish items, and its hard to find a T X000 series transformer at this time. I do see a T5000 for somewhat sane money, and since the MC5000 is essentially a MC3000 with different cantilever the SUT should be the same. Of course in a perfect world I find a T2000 for this cartridge and a T3000 for my MC3000. 

The reading from the original review shows that active step ups like the Klyne were unable to achieve a low enough noise floor to work well with the MC2000. And there seems to be no modern active pre pre amps available at this time that can do 30dB of gain. So this does not seem to be an avenue that can be pursued. 

One last transformer that looks to be an option is the Hashimoto, as the H-3 can be configured for 30 dB of gain. 

standard Lundahl's are available with 32db...

Neon, Several points.  (1) Jensen are pros.  They understand transformers and how to build them.  If you have any misgivings about shielding, ask them.  I doubt you would have a problem.  Same goes for Dave Slagle (Intact Audio). (2) The REASON that Gordon Holt suggested using a tonearm with 5g effective mass, if that were possible, with the MC2000 is BECAUSE of its 11g weight.  In other words, if you add 5g to 11g, for an effective mass of 16g, the calculated resonant frequency probably falls into a range Holt found to be acceptable. (I haven't done a calculation, but I assume Mr Holt knew what he was talking about.)  The very light tonearm is advisable because the cartridge has both high compliance and high mass in and of itself.  But I don't think even GH used such a light tonearm when he auditioned the MC2000 and subsequently declared it to be the best sounding cartridge he had ever heard up to that point. (3) I would have to disagree with you on the idea that there are no active gain devices that are quiet enough to work with the MC2000, in conjunction with an MM phono stage.  I am in fact using one that Intact Audio built for me; it's dead silent.  I have two other high gain phono stages that are certainly quiet enough, but they don't have quite enough gain to make me happy.  The MC2000 sounds a bit anemic with those two.  I do not own a SUT; nor have I ever owned one.

@lewm I would love to hear more about your Slagle head amp