Phono (0.1- 0.22mV+) or step up for LOMC?

Dear @ibelchev: Obviously that you just don't read my posts here about why and from where came SUTs.

Ortofon mainly is a cartridge manufacturer not an audio electronics items. From its began Ortofon as all other LOMC cartridge manufacturers always joined its cartridges with its SUTs that they manufactured and they had to manufacturer SUTS because was the only alternative to listen those kind of cartridges in a " decent " way and not because was the SUT the perfect alternative. Was the only one on those old times.

Active high gain phonolinepreamps just did not exist in those times at least niot good designs.

Tubes are out of question for active high gain phono stages so normally almost all tube manufacturers use SUT, externally or internally to the design, because tubes has no other viable alternative and not because SUTs are better. Some SS phono stage manufacturers gone for SUTs because it's a lot more easy to design that way than an active alternative. You need very high knowledge level and skills to do it.

In the other side active high gain SS phonolinepreamp design is not an easy task but if the design and excecution to that design is a good one then this is the true and best alternative. I explain in my posts.

I'm not saying here or else where that SUTs are bad because are not but are inferior no matter what to a good SS active high gain stage.! ! !  Noise levels, distortions and very limited frequency response is where SUTs just can't compete.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Dear @korakotta:   

https://www.passlabs.com/products/preamplifiers/xp-phono-series

https://www.stereophile.com/content/parasound-halo-jc-3-phono-preamplifier

https://www.stereophile.com/content/liberty-audio-b2b-1-phono-preamplifier

https://www.stereophile.com/content/bmc-phono-mcci-phono-preamplifier

https://simaudio.com/en/product/neo-310lp-phono-preamplifier/


R.

Korakotta:

There is always a propensity on audio forums for advice that involves change and spending more money.

I can understand fully your preference for running balanced, especially if you have been able to hear your MF phono pre in fully balanced mode. I’ve been running fully balanced on the analog side for 10 years now and there will be a performance enhancement with most phono preamps running balanced vs. single ended with low output moving coils. There can also be a pretty significant lowering of noise levels moving from a single ended input to the balanced input on many phono preamps and it appears that this is exactly what you experienced with your MF.

From the sensitivity spec of your MF phono preamp it would appear that you have about 56-58 db of gain. In most balanced phono preamps, running fully balanced in and out of the phono stage will give you an additional 6 dB of gain. It is not clear from the MF specs whether this is indeed the case-I would recommend that you contact MF and see if it actually is and get their thoughts on running with a .2 mV cartridge. If there is indeed an additional 6 dB of gain running fully balanced in and out, the MF should be a very good match with your cartridge and require you to do nothing more than properly terminate your tonearm lead with the necessary, albeit a bit unusual MF balanced connector.

It sounds like you were able to source an appropriate tonearm lead to audition your MF phono pre in balanced mode before. Would be great if you could do that again with your existing cartridge.

I'm no expert but listen with my ears and over the last 20 years I have found adding a SUT has really improved the SQ with just about every cartridge and phono unit I've used. For 12 years I've found the Kondo SFz to be wonderful especially when used with the Kondo cartridge but recently have found a SUT that has beaten the Kondo IMO. 

(Dealer disclaimer)