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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
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 

@dover The Sowter transformers are a little bit larger than a golf ball and weight a few ounces, maybe 5 or 6. If I had known weight was so important I would have weighed them before I glued them to the permalloy.  

lalitk's avatar
lalitk OP
5,585 posts
 

@mdalton 

Any early impressions on HM-7 vs Rothwell? 

mulveling's avatar
mulveling
1,941 posts
 

With all else being equal (which it almost never is), core size can definitely have an impact on performance. Good luck getting an actual core weight sans all the casing, potting, etc.

EAR MC-3 and MC-4 add weighting to the box so stiff audiophile cables don’t wrestle it around - which is really nice. Almost all the CineMag MC variants use the same size can - but interestingly Quadratic (MC-1) has their CineMags custom made with at least double the usual height (presumably with a proportionally larger core). It featured stronger than usual bass response, along with a slightly relaxed treble (this behavior was consistent across MM stages and cartridges).

Lundahls (9206, 9226, 1931) use amorphous cobalt cores, rather than laminations, which must weigh differently - and I also wonder if this core material explains my aversion to them.

mdalton's avatar
mdalton
487 posts
 

@lalitk 

am on road for couple days so only got one lp side in.  Way more dynamic, without losing koetsu magic.  So very good initial impression.  However, have a noise issue (hum at high volume no music).  pretty sure it came at 1:30 ratio, 29 db gain, which is too much.  Think In gonna have to pop it open and change setting to 1:15 ratio, 23 db gain.  Waiting to hear from Constantin who reached out to Swissonor to make sure that’s how it was shipped before I open it up.  

mulveling's avatar
mulveling
1,941 posts
 

@mdalton 

Cool!! From my perspective, SUTs actually increase the Koetsu magic. But that hum is not "normal", even at the 30x / 29dB setting, and even with the volume turned up loud (my preferred setting lol). As least, it should not be invasive from your seating position. Anyways 30x SUT's like the Hashimoto will perform well with the 0.3mV Koetsu Platinums, though it's pretty "hot" at that setting. 15x - 20x is ideal. For your Urushi, 30x is way too hot. The 15x setting is ideal for you!

There will be ample opportunities to correct the hum - through various grounding schemes, IC swaps, and making sure all connectors & jacks are tight. Hopefully that can be resolved easily. 

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