Step Up Transformers….Are they Worth the Trouble?

Dear @lalitk : " I would like to take things to the next level. Which brings me to mating low output cart with a SUT..."

Well it’s clear that for you it’s the next step however for MUSIC is several back steps.

I can see too that through the whole tread all gentlemans ( MUSIC lovers? ) posted about system hardware and no one " touched " MUSIC that for me is the main target in any room/system in home reproduction.

In a live event almost does not exist anithing but air between MUSIC ( sources ) and we and that’s the whole and biggest diference against LP reproduced MUSIC.

It’s from there where comes that fast transient response and from here is developed the rythm and power dynamics than only live MUSIC achieves.

Recording and playback proccess makes a huge MUSIC degradation through all those " thousands " of steps/interruptions where the MUSIC signal must pass through and at each step is developed and accumulation of MUSIC severe degradation, distortions of everykind and higher noise levels.

So as lower the signal steps as better MUSIC quality levels and now you are thinking to add additional steps against MUSIC. Here what one of your OP electronics alternatives says about its main unit design ( Tron. ):

 

• Very short signal path

 

 

and for very good reasons due that we need to try to preserve that sensible cartridge signal integrity but in this hardware’s party with the Sut you are adding a longer cartridge signal path than in your today SS Accuphase because you are separating preamp from phono and then Sut and those mean input/output additional metal blend connectors, several solder joints, transformers, not 2cms. of wire but over 1 m. along all the cartridge signal interactions down there.

 

All those can’t in anyway be an improvement/enhance or better quality sound reproduction but the other way around: only deep degradations with higher developed distortions at any single added step. Again:

 

VERY SHORT SIGNAL PATH

always is the way to go, less is more and not the " dance " of this party.

You want to " take things to the next level " then you can change the Accuphase for a better SS phonolinepreamp as Gryphon, Boulder, CH or even Dartzeel. In all these units you are not adding nothing but better quality designs that really can improve the MUSIC quality sound. Other alternative is to go not for the Etsuro but for the Lyra Etna Lambda SL.

 

Those are " next levels " for your system. Obviously that you can follow with the thread’s party.

 

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.

Lalitk, My point was that your good opinion of the Monbrisson led me to look for some reviews. One was by Art Dudley published in Stereophile. Dudley was an avowed admirer of Ken Shindo, and so was predisposed to love his works. And indeed he did wax poetic about the Monbrisson, but the impression I got is that the built in phono stage only supplies MM levels of phono gain, i.e., ca 40db. He mentioned that the difference in cost between the Monbrisson and a more costly Shindo design was likely that the latter included built in SUTs that service the MC phono inputs on that other unit, whereas the Monbrisson lacked MC capability. So, based only on that information (sadly, the S’phile review did not include a tech description of the Monbrisson or any measurements), I would have guessed that the unit would require an outboard SUT in order to work well with the Hana Umami Red or any other LOMC cartridge. OTOH, it’s possible that one could have ordered up an upgrade to the Monbrisson that would include a built in SUT and MC inputs.

@lalitk :

 

https://gryphon-audio.dk/the-collection/integrated-amplifiers/diablo-333/

 

and you can have with its optional PS 3  MM/MC.

 

R.

@lalitk  : Or:

 

Nº585.5 | Fully Discrete Integrated Amplifier with Class A Pure Phono Stage (marklevinson.com)

 

R.

@rauliruegas

I appreciate the recommendation for Integrated but I am not looking to upgrade my Integrated. Accuphase Integrated is not going anywhere! On my last shootout with T+A and Dartzeel, I preferred the synergy between the Accuphase and Tannoy’s.