Can I use a step up transformer?

But Master....it sounds so much better with the SUT.

Grasshopper.....it only sounds better because of the colossal distortions.
You need to eliminate all better-sounding equipment and insert ’finer’ pieces elsewhere in your system.

But Master....how will I know I have reached Nirvana?

You will know Grasshopper, when you have inserted enough ’fine’ equipment to give the foulest of sounds.

And then Master, will I have eliminated these ’distortions’ of which you speak...?

Only then Grasshopper......only then...👼🏼

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.