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SUT shootout

Over the past six weeks I have had the chance to finish a SUT "shootout". I thought I would post my impressions.

My system config for the shoot-out consisted of the following:

TT: Nottingham 294
Tonearm: SME 312S
Cartridge: Koetsu Rosewood Signature Platinum & Benz Ebony
Preamp: Shindo Masetto
Amp: Atma-sphere S30 and Tube Audio Lab 300B
Speaker: Hawthorne Trio (Biamped Open Baffle Speaker)

Music listened to covered multiple genres (rock, jazz, classical) in both 33 and 45 rpm formats. Because of the different turn ratios of the products I used a SPL meter and tried to listen with volume at roughly 80-85db.

My subjective ranking is as follows:

1. Hashimoto HM-7
2. Auditorium 23 "Hommage"
3. Hashimoto HM-3
4. Modified EAR-834P (Upgraded parts and tubes)
5. Sowter
6. MC from Shindo Masetto (Lundahl based transformer)
7. Cinemag
8. Altec (DIY)

The good news is that all of the above are extremely musical. There were no poor performers. I think most people would be happy with any of these products on their own. It was only in direct comparison where some of the differences became apparent.

The top three (Auditorium Hommage and both Hashimoto's) were a notch above the rest because they had both huge soundstages and the ability to dig deep into the music in regards to detail. The Hashmito HM-7 and Auditorium further distinquished themselves from the HM-3 by being more nuanced and textured. The Koetsu's warm tone came across better with these top 2. The tone using the HM-3 was more neutral in character. In comparing the HM-7 to the Hommage, I felt the HM-7 had a slightly better ability to separate instruments in complex musical arrangements and had a slightly lower noise floor.

The EAR and Sowter were very good at showcasing detail and texture but the soundstage was smaller than the top 3.

The internal SUT from the Shindo preamp had the most unique sound of the group and was the toughest to grade. It had the lowest noise floor and really shined in certain types of music (intimate vocals or small scale jazz/chamber music). However, the soundstage of the Masetto (Lundahl) was the smallest of all the products and when it came to larger scale music (symphonies especially) it had a harder time separating instruments.

The Cinemag and Altec were, not suprisingly, extremely similar considering their common heritage. The soundstage was larger than the Shindo, Sowter and EAR but smaller than the Hashimoto's and Hommage. Where I felt they came up a little short was in the area of musical detail. Of these two products, I placed the Cinemag higher because I thought it was slightly quieter.

It is interesting to note that the pricing of the products ranged from a low of approximately $350 (Cinemag based SUT) to a high of roughly $5000 (Hommage). My "winner" (HM-7) is priced at approx $1600 for a finished product.

Finally, I am aware that the performance of the products in question may differ substantially with other cartridges and systems so my ranking is a subjective opinion within the paramaters of my system, room and musical tastes. None-the-less, I had a fun time doing it.
sibelius
br3098
994 posts
 
Largely based on Sibelius' review, above, I recently purchased a Hashimoto HM3-based SUT; the SUT-H from Choir Audio. It's a great product and is better in every way than I was expecting (and I had high expectations). John Parker is a great guy to deal with and a true gentleman.

Before ordering the SUT-H I had been using a friend's CineMag (Bob's) unit for a couple of months, and I also already owned an Audio Note AN-2. The Hashimoto-based SUT is simply better than the CineMag unit in every way, at least in my system. Cartridges have been a pair of Shelter 501s (stereo and mono), recently upgraded the 501 st to a 5000, and a DL-103R.
sibelius OP
256 posts
 
Toufu:

I got my Hashimoto SUT's (HM-3, HM-7) thru Choir Audio. He (John) also has a Cinemag version as well.
dr_john
66 posts
 
I also use a Shindo preamp (Giscours) and am wondering if Sibelius input the Hashimoto to the MM or MC port ? And what IC was used from the Hashimoto into the phono stage ? Thanks.
br3098
994 posts
 
I would like to append my response form 2010:

I met Bob Sattin from Bob's Devices at the T.H.E. Show in Newport last year (2011). Bob is a very pleasant guy, during our discussion expressed genuine surprise that I preferred the Hashimoto-based SUT to his Cinemag unit. Since he was going to be in town on vacation, I invited Bob to come to my office the following week and compare his units to my HM-3 unit from Choir Audio.

It was an interesting afternoon. We compared several of Bob's devices to my SUT, and I was surprised by a couple of things: First, just how much different various SUTs can sound, even from the same manufacturer (Bob's) and within the same transformer family (Cinemag). And the differences were not subtle.

Secondly, I was surprised at how much I preferred Bob's Cinemag 3440AH (Blue) unit to my beloved Hashimoto-based SUT. It's not that the HM-3 unit sounded worse compared to Bob's SUT. The unit from Choir Audio has a very seductive sound; warm, dusky and brassy. What I love about the Hashmoto-based SUT is what it does to horns, wood instruments and voices - there is great timbre and texture.

The Cinemag Blue unit, in comparison, was smoother and silkier. But more importantly, the Cinemag Blue unit presented more musical detail than did the Hashimoto unit. No matter which recording we listened to, Bob's Cinemeg Blue unit provided a sense sense of musical balance. Finally, I will say that I found the width and depth of the soundstage increased with the Cinemag unit, and not by a small degree.

I have kept my Choir Audio SUT, and still listen through it occasionally. But for most of my LP listening I rely on Bob's Cinemag 3440AH (Blue) SUT - it's simply a superior product.

If anyone is interested, the equipment used for the SUT comparison were a Luxman PD-441 turntable with Micro Seiki MA-505 S1 tonearm and Benz Ace (Low) cartridge. The amp was an Audio Note Oto Phono SE, and the speakers were Altec Lansing Model 14s.
sibelius OP
256 posts
 
Dr. John:

Hashimoto SUT was plugged into MM connection of preamp. IC was Shindo.

Br3098:

Agree with you that Bob's Blue Cinemag is a major step up from the normal Cinemag and worthy of consideration. I also have one, enjoy it, and find it a great value for the money. I still slightly prefer the Hashimoto with my current cartridge (Koetsu Onyx Platinum) but the Blue is neck and neck with it. A refurbed Garrard with Ortofon SPU will be arriving in about a week and am currently planning on using the Blue Cinemag in this setup.
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