FIDELITY RESEARCH STEP-UP TRANSFORMERS

With my FR-7fz and previous FR-7f i've been using this toroidal silver sut, they are superb for all LOMC cartridges, 3 inserts available for different impedance.  

https://audio-heritage.jp/FIDELITYRESEARCH/etc/index2.html
I do have XF-1 L which is better than 4 or 5.
Check pricing and use translator.
XF-1 L works with LOMC up to 3 ohms. I do use it with Ikeda canitleverless which is 3 ohms.

If you want to get this one some day:
https://audio-heritage.jp/FIDELITYRESEARCH/etc/fr-7f.html
and to use it with dedicated step up it will be XF-1 L or if you want more universal unit buy FIDELITY RESEARCH XG-7

I have an XG-5 in my second system, also the universal type with 3 positions and one 'step down' from XG-7. It sounds really nice, but not on the same level as my other two dedicated step ups, Entré ET-200 (copper wire) and Ortofon T-3000 (silver wire), both for MC's in the 2 to 6 ohm range and both with 30dB gain.

If you plan on using FR7 or other low impedance cartridges, a dedicated low impedance type is preferable. I have no experience with XF-1L, so don't know how it compares to the ones mentioned above. There also was a silver wire step up from FR. This is quite rare, sought after and expensive. I saw it offered twice in the last 5 years and sold instantly, so it must be very good.

BTW: I would advise against using a low impedance step up with Benz LP-S.

Dear @lohanimal : Ste up transformers are not " rocket science " and does not changed in the last 40+ years. What changed was if are silver coiled or cooper or what ever but the functions stays the same.

I owned FR, AT, Denon, Entré and several other SUT's and with out doubt I can recomend to you the Denon AU-340 that I still own along the Denon AU-1000 ( both modified by me. ).

You can't go wrong with the 340 that works really good with any vintage or today cartridges:

https://audio-heritage.jp/DENON/etc/au-340.html

https://www.vinylengine.com/library/denon/au-340.shtml

Please take a look to the Denon frequency range against the top FR or any FR SUT, Denon outperforms any of them and this spec tell us a lot about the quality of those transformer designed by Denon.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Dear all
Can i first of all say thank you for your responses - very informative so far.
As it happens i have 2 phono stages. A Vendetta SCP2B which I intend to use with a Transfiguration Temper V directly - I wish it had more inputs - hey ho.
My other stage is Whest 0.20 which can take MC or MM - with the Step Up i will put it onto MM.

I was curious as to what mods you carried out @rauliruegas to the denon.

I would ideally like at least 2 inputs for the step up. That is partly why i like the FR range. 

I was not familiar with the XG range - i note that there are no 7's for sale