SUT Advice - Which Ones Are The Best?

@lewm I probably should have refrained from making that statement, but allow me to explain where it came from. Most low impedance, low output MC's I use (various Ortofon's including SPU, FR7, Ikeda 9, Miyabi, etc.) have between 0.2 and 0.3 mV output. My MM phono input stage has 40dB gain, so using a 20dB SUT (or 21 in the case of the Denon) would bring the total gain to 60dB. I have tried several SUT's with 20dB gain in my system (but obviously not this Denon) and in all cases and at the same volume level these low output MC's sound more alive and musical using a SUT with 30dB gain (like the Entré ET-200 and Ortofon T-3000 I'm using now).

The specified impedance is perhaps less significant, but I've tried some of these low impedance cartridges with SUT's that offer switching between low (usually 3 ohms) and high impedance (20-40dB). To my ears using the high impedance setting on low impedance MC's sounds much inferior to the 'correct' setting, of course with the appropriate correction of the volume control.

That's what I've learned from making these comparisons. So, when Denon specifies 21dB gain and 10-40 ohms impedance range for the AU-1000 model,  I'm inclined to think that this will not be the best choice for the cartridges I like. Perhaps the Denon flies in the face of that and I won't deny that possibility until I hear it myself.

I was looking at SUT’s a few months ago. I ended up contacting Andrew Rothwell at Rothwell Audio UK. He offers a range if his own SUT’s. He made it clear that it was essential to ensure that any SUT selected should suit both the cartridge and phono-stage it would be used with.
i ended up purchasing the Rothwell MCL with 26db of gain. My phono-stage on the MM side had quite a low 36db of gain, so combined this gives me 62db of gain overall. That pretty much matched the 62db of gain from the MC side of my phono-stage.

i have been very pleased with the MCL and the performance from it. I was also very impressed by the helpful advice that I received from Andrew in helping me decide. 

Dear @keswick : If you can try to change the default PS MM 47 impedance by 100k.  
If your system has the adequated resolution you will listen the benefits on that change.

R.

Hi raulinuegas 
Thanks  for your advice.
i am currently running a DV 20x2L via my SUT and the MM side of my phono-stage. Unfortunately my phono-stage only has one fixed setting for MC and another for MM cartridges, so I am unable to alter it. So until I ever get around to upgrading the phono-stage for one that is adjustable I will have to live with what I have. Having said that, it does indeed sound very good as it is.
What benefit would changing from 47k to 100k actually bring for my current cartridge do you think, or were you thinking that Ivwa# running a Koetsu ?

@keswick : One benefit is that the output voltage of the cartridge drops is a little lower than at 47k and could improve the signal to noise ratio. Yes, it's a minimum number about and we can or can't detect it and depending of the phono stage design 100k could help it..

R.