FIDELITY RESEARCH STEP-UP TRANSFORMERS

If to give comment about  XF-1 L.

It's dead silent, SN ratio is superb, shielding is something special.
 
It's not the best also but it doesn't looked shy near upper league transformers
. 
So as about sound it has no colour but all details are present. It's pretty close to AN, Neumann etc. Close but some juice is missing. But really not much. I think  Denon AU-S1 MC Step Up is more versatile but for my liking XF-1L is better as it works only up to 3 ohms.
Although as about Denon  AU-S1 I am not believer that it can work from 3 up to 40 ohms. I would make a bet 20-40 ohms as the optimum range.

Dear @lohanimal  : All my SUT's were modified and the 340 outperforms almost any vintage or today SUT but the AU-1000 ( the weigth of this SUT: 12kg. and frequency response range : 5hz to 200khz . ) and others that I never experienced.

Audio Technica SUT's as the 1000T or 700T are really good too and its today  model seems to me as something to own and probably extremely hard to beat:

https://www.audio-technica.com/cms/accessories/1211e0cd29d5d0aa/index.html

As you I own an active phonolinestage device. Your Vendetta is a good one.

Even that I don't know your other cartridges you own I think that you need better carrtridges than your Transfiguration or Denon entry level 103 that I owned/own. You can stay with Transfiguration that are excellent quality performers like the Proteus one.

The SUT's you ask for are in the mediocrity/average range and could work with mediocre/average LOMC cartridges like your 103 but not for top performers.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

@rauliruegas 
I am somewhat surprised you don't know that the Transfiguration Temper V is an absolute top flight MC cartridge which holds its own against anything out there today.

The Shelter 501 Mk2 was recently re-tipped at Expert Vinyl and that's a very decent MC.

As to the DL103 being so lowly - that's interesting as the guy who makes Zanden amps uses one.

I keep that fora lot of listening because if my 4 and 5 yr old have a bad moment - it's £200 odd to replace - not over £2000...

In my various experiments I find that a great phono sectionis more important than the cartridge. I refuse to go over a certain price for a cartridge because its just a flipping magnet and thin wire - I've seeen Van Den Hul make them at shows - compare it to an equally priced say car/bike/watch an awful lot more skill and man hours go into making those items - but that's my 2 cents worth.

I hope you don't mind but I will email you directly about the AU340 mods.

thanks

Dear @lohanimal  : I posted that I owned that Transfiguration model and orther ones too, I love Transfiguration designs.

Even today still exist a cult in some Japanese gentlemans for the " venerable " 103 " that is a true mediocre/average design and that that tube electronic and Japanese designer use it means only his mediocrity levels or his very personal idiosyncrancy and nothing more.

""  In my various experiments I find that a great phono sectionis more important than the cartridge. ""

I almost agree with that statement. Yes the phono stage quality level design and quality level excecution to that design makes a paramount differences and extremely important to honor the cartridge signal but we have to remember that with out a cartridge there is no signal to pass through that phono stage. It's not easy for me to say with absolute certainty the grade of importance in between because we have to think too in that matching tonearm.

But you are rigth in the critical importance of that phono stage where I prefer the active high gain against the use of external SUT's. I own those SUT's and use SUT's because is a good alternative and I like it.

Btw, I will let you know about just email me here:

rauliruegas hotmail dot com .

R.

Hi @rauliruegas  - emailed u last night.

Like i said the 103 is a good workaday cartridge - it's very well made for the price. In addition they have good consistency - anyway the thread is about step-ups

I've never tried a step-up and thought I'd try one whilst being able to also do arm multiple mounts - 'killing 2 birds with one stone' so to speak.

I recall once saying to someone that my Shelter 501 with a Nordost cable was far superior to my Tansfiguration with a TCI cable. Thankfully both my phono stages are active (though one can switch to MM).

It's tempting and very costly this hi-fi habit with as many opinions as there are components.

I am taking your tip and seeking out a Denon AU 340.

@chakster and @nandric 

I am not going to get a single input step up transformer. I have what one will call a 'bijou' room so multi inputs are the 'way to go' for me. 

In my 'nearfield' set up I am being drawn more and more to a warmer tonal palette than ever before. I make no apologies for it and do not want to be a 'slave to neutrality' - that said a thick syrupy sound - yuck:)