Step Up Transformers….Are they Worth the Trouble?


Some of you may aware of my Garrard 301 project, it’s now very close to completion. The plinth finally shipped from Hungry after 3 months of long wait.

Given my last experience with Hana Umami Red, I would like to take things to the next level. Which brings me to mating low output cart with a SUT. Every review I’ve read so far suggests when the SUT-MC match is right, the end result is heavenly. The bass is right, the midrange is clear, and most importantly, the highs are relaxed and extended—not rolled off.

I am not saying you can’t get great sound without a SUT but it appears with a properly matched SUT, sound can be quite magical.

Thought this would be the right time to get input from experienced users here since I am still contemplating my cartridge and outboard phonostage options.

My preference would be to go with a tube phono…I kinda miss tinkering with tubes :-)

My system, Garrard 301 (fully refurbished), Reed 3P tonearm, Accuphase E-650 with built-in AD50 analog board ➡️ Tannoy Canterbury’s.

Cart and phono under consideration through my dealer,

Fuuga - Output : 0.35 mVrms | Impedance : 2.5 Ω (1kHz)

Phonostage - Tron Convergence and Konus Audio Phono Series 1000

The cart - MC combination, I am lusting after is Etsuro Urushi Bordeaux MC with their Etsuro Transformer.
https://www.etsurojapan.com/product/bordeaux

The other transformer is EMIA, cooper or silver version.

Your input is appreciated!

128x128lalitk

Clasic posts of an audiophile but certainly not a MUSIC lover.

how odd you say that....I don't see where anything you posted has anything to do with loving music, only chasing numbers.

MY system produces beautiful music. That is all I care about. Yet you somehow know me? 

I posted how I got there. You can nitpick it if you wish, no problem here.

and BTW , your claim of .01 dB accuracy with your phono stage is ridiculous. Even if it could do it, you can't accurately measure it. You are embarrassing yourself by making the claim....

Good day

 

@herman : No, I did not. In that measure regards you have not ( yet ) the knowledge level and skills to do it and understand it instead to follow chasing " numbers " or errors by me.

A mistake, it’s not 0.01 but 0.012. We did it and do it with each phonolinepreamp RIAA calibration in real time . No, you will never know ( the Audio precision System 2 is useless for that. ) and no we can’t have two phonolinepreamps with exactly the same RIAA calibration values ( very near in between but not exactly. We can do it with a little higher tolerance. ) because is almost imposible to match exactly all RIAA circuit parts.

Again, I’m not chasing numbers and I don’t care how good sounds your system because is your system and what you like . Again, you are not so demanding as I’m with the overall quality LP reproduction room/system. That’s all. You need to understand that.

Good day too.

 

Btw, @lewm , if you can’t hear differences then you need to fine tune your room/system because I know you are not deaf. No, I don’t want to follow arguing with you about, it’s not the OP subject.

 

R.

 

Raul. You have no idea what my background and understanding is.

What I do know and understand from many years of experience, is you are delusional if you think you are accurately measuring differences between .01 and .012 dB, and even more delusional if you believe that your RIAA is accurate to that degree from 20-20KHz

The fact that are even trying to achieve that tells me that you are indeed chasing numbers. I recommend hanging out at Audio Science Review where all that matters is numbers. You will be as happy there as I am every time I spin a record through my .6 dB phono corrector smiley

P.S. My apologies to the OP.. I am done with this distraction, Get a good MM stage with high input impedance and a quality SUT and you will be as happy as I am in my .6dB world

Raul, Can you say how you do your measurement of RIAA accuracy? I asked this earlier as a general question and got no response. I am curious how it is done by manufacturers in order to arrive at a spec which is then published in their ad copy, because I see there could be many pitfalls. I’d be happy to hear from Ralph or Dave Slagle on that subject, too. Just to begin with, what curve is used as the standard from which a deviation can be measured. Is it a hypothetical curve described by Lipschitz’s equations?  With respect to Lipschitz, I heretofore thought his equations describe only one of a few other mathematical approaches to RIAA de-emphasis.

@herman

No apology needed. I always enjoyed reading your posts and appreciate you for taking the high road. Unlike our friend @rauliruegas, who has shown us repeatedly that he is incapable of respecting views of other participants. I honestly don’t get why some folks get so worked up. It’s okay to disagree but disrespecting others that don’t share your views is so unnecessary. The best course of action in my book is to ignore such poster’s.

Back to my journey, I just finalized a tube phono with good MM and MC capabilities. We plan to compare the tube phono in following configurations,

1) Fuuga ➡️ Allnic H-6500 MC ➡️ Accuphase E-650

2) Fuuga ➡️ Konus Phono (transimpedance) ➡️ E-650

3) Fuuga ➡️ EMIA SUT (copper) ➡️ H-6500 MM ➡️ E-650

I am hoping to establish a good baseline from above, should be a fun day.

PS: Thank you all for your feedback and a special shoutout to @wrm57.