FIDELITY RESEARCH STEP-UP TRANSFORMERS

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:) 

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.

@bukanova @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:) 

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.

For this reason i have line preamp with 4 inputs, so i can connect different phono stages for my 4 tonearms (two turntables).

The SUT i have mentioned has one base with insert for 3 different silver toroidal transformers designed for ALL type of MC cartridges (8030 for 1.5 - 3.5 Ohm // 8025 for 3 - 40 Ohm // 8020 for 20 - 40 Ohm ). This is SUT if the most versatile. 

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:)

Even if your phono stage is neutral who said that your amp is neutral, especially tube amp ? This is where you can get your warm tone. 

SUT is oldschool technology, learn as much as you can about "Current-Injection" PHONO stages for low impedance cartridges, this is the most direct and live sound ever. This is ideal for low impedance MC cartridge.  

I love the total lack of agreement on this forum at times :)

Both the FR64/FR7/SUT and the lightweight MM/modern MC Active stage may always be at loggerheads - my only way to resolve is to hear it.

@chakster the one you mentioned does allow different transformers, but isn't it a case of plugging and unplugging? I don't like to do that as most my tonearm cables have WBT connectors - not only that you should plug and unplug continuously.

It's better to plug/unplug not RCA connectors on the SUT side, but DIN connector on your tonearm when you want to switch from one to another. You just re-direct a cable (DIN) from one tonearm to another if needed. For this reason i designed custom made rack with open bottom for easy access to the tonearms. SUT swap on Luxman base is easy as changing tubes in the amp.  I also have WBT RCA on some cables. 

But this is not what i'm trying to say. 

Current-Injection phono stage for FR-7fz is the best solution, better than SUT