Some cartridge recommendations

I have an SUT over $1k in cost, and MC cartridges costing many times more than that. I'd say a Nagaoka MP-500 is the best and cheapest way to get where you want to go.

Dea @westcoastaudiophile  : Obviously you don't know the very high quality transformers in the vintage AU-340 where this SUT beats with out doubt the ones you mentioned. 

Been a vintage SUT this Denon can even be up-graded with internal rewiring ( no rocket science. ) and new top input/output connectors even if you want it XLR you can do it. If you can find out just buy it .

Btw, here some of its specs: 

Denon AU-340 Audio Step Up Transformer Manual | Vinyl Engine

R.

@rauliruegas my question was if you have tried Phasemation SUTs, 300/500/100 series, to get your (respectful) opinion! I never said Denon oldie SUT is not good, but there is advantage to use balanced interconnects between MC and SUT. 

Dear @westcoastaudiophile :No, I never listened and I never do in my system due that around 16-18 years ago we designed and builded an active high gain phonolinepreamp that was the Essential 3150 and today is the 3180.

Even that I still own some SUT’s coming from Denon, Audiocraft and Entré but several years ago I used maybe almost " all " the vintage top japanese SUT’s and no one came wired balanced. The today units still own all are upgraded/updated for me and in the Entré I tested it balanced vs unbalanced and at least in my room/ system I did not listen any advantage in the balanced way and I have to say that the MM stage in the Essential is second to none.

I posted and post about SUT’s when some audiophiles ask for..

Of my SUT’s I have connected in my system the Denon AU-1000 that I’m almost sure is the best SUT ever and today almost imposible to beats it.

The name of the game in SUT’s is the quality level design, build and excecution to that design. Denon transformers were made by Tamura-San where the ones in the 1000 are superior to the ones in the 340. Those kind of transformers does not exist any more.

Here you can read about the Denon AU-1000 that I own:

http://20cheaddatebase.web.fc2.com/needie/NDdenon/AU-1000.html

https://www.denon.jp/ja-jp/museum/products/au1000.html

Btw, I have nothing against the Phasemation.

R.

@rauliruegas well, in the last 40y electronics materials engineering delivered much better wire, magnetics, isolation, magnetics etc., and I think phasemation is one of “analog dinosaur” companies on the top of the list today. Vintage stuff is vcasino game, where you play with you money against unknown aging factors accelerated by usage/storage moisture, dielectric aging, temperature etc.