MC transformers - what do they sound like?

Raul what I learned ealry is this -insufficicient gain in the phono stage can make a great system sound meidocre. Agree? Y/N?
What we need is a preamp that has sufficient gain to drive the cornucopia of excellent low output mc cartridges? Agree y/n?
This means that we need a preamp with about 60-80db gain in the phono stage.Agree Y/N?
Optimally we also need about 80-100db S/N ratio(unweighted). AgreeY/N?
Luckily there exist a number of of preamps capable of this with no problem. They do tend to be expensive. Agree Y/N?
What does the audiophile do who is either unable to or uwilling to trash his current preamp in favor of one that can drive a low output preamp?
He can avail himself of an outboard pre-pre amp. Or he can avail himself of an outboard transformer. I took into consideration one parameter-noise.
The more you magnify the signal the more you magnify the noise (Ask DR. Dolby). Transformers make it easier to magnify the signal with less amplification of the noise. IME. Of course noise and gain have always been a bigger problem in tubes than solid state. Agree Y/N?
BTW you list a very impressive group of manufacturers who used SUT. you don't really mean to suggest they don't care about music?

Raul.

What do you think of Tim De Paravancini from EAR. He uses transformers extensively in all his products including MC pickups. His EAR 834 is an excellent unit, I am listening to one now and it has a fluidity that the Pass Xono or Ayre Px5 don't seem to have. - not sure what I like better at the moment.

What about this guy from TNT review site who states that
"Active devices are drifting with temperature, operating point and under work, and if input signals are smaller than 1mV, the drift gets into the way of the music. Bass lines are muddy then and drum players seem to play like if they are drunk. So the music is lacking immediateness, and rather sounds hollow, uninvolving, uninteresting".

see his review
http://www.tnt-audio.com/accessories/mc_3xfr_e.html

cheers Shane

Gregadd sez

Transformers make it easier to magnify the signal

These trannies increase voltage at the expense of current -- they can't increase the energy, as you doubtless know.

Downunder: if you're interested in improving your EAR, check a relevant thread by Thorsten Loesch (an advanced diyer)[url+http://www.goodsoundclub.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?postID=2052]here[/url].
As to the note by the TNT writer, he's referring to *circuits* (and many circuits fit that description); components used in a circuit have this bad habit of drifting with temp (& voltage for that matter).

If what Raul is to make sense, he is using a very well stabilised active circuit and he's using his components in their optimum operating region. That's difficult and painstaking to design and implement -- but better (even in theory) than using a tranny. But let's face it: as Gregadd seems to imply, a good tranny, while expensive, is nowhere near the cost and rarerity of an outstanding fully active 80-100db riaa.

Maybe I'm missing something but if designers like Jim Hagerman and Kevin Carter recommend the use of step-up transformers with their products, then they can't be as bad as Raul makes them out to be. Both these designers make outstanding phono stages and I'm sure they would never recommend something that is proven to compromise the sound of their designs.

BTW - In the interest of full disclosure I use a K&K step-up with a Hagerman Trumpet. This set-up may not be as high quality as some other phono stages out there, including Raul's, that don't require a step-up, but I'd be willing to bet I would have had to pay significantly more to get to that level.

Dear Onhwy61: First my opinion is not a mere " my opinion ", there are facts objective facts about. Of course that I accept that people may disagree with me, no problem about.

But this SUT case is really critical for only " accept " opinions with out objective facts.

I think that all of us take some learning through this kind of dialogue and I put an example from a person that I respect: this very enthusiastic person always defend the SUT against my opinion about, through the time he grow up ( very fast ) and now he own a high gain phonopreamp and today he knows that is really better than the SUTs that he defended.

This is what is all about. If we can grow up in our audio hobby then we are on the " right road ". Don't you think?

Btw, I can't see on your audio systems any SUT: Good!!!!

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.