Step Up Transformers….Are they Worth the Trouble?

@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. 

@dover  : Of course that the transformers are a fraction of those kg..The realsubject of my post is its  wide frequency range. I still own that AU-1000 hard wired by me from the transformers to output connectorsandmeasured from around 3hz to over 300khz.

The Denon unit transformers are just " incredible " with no developed hum/noise and way low THD.

No one of the SUTs owned by the gentlemans that posted here comes near to the quality Denon performance even almost no one are flat in such wide frequency range that's unique and in benefit of MUSIC reproduction..

Several audiophiles on this " SUT's party " have any idea what I'm talking about when theyare so happy with those SUT they own that does not permits that the cartridge can shows at its best.

R.

Don't worry, we will be careful not to enjoy our inferior SUT's too much. I will keep in my place realizing I enjoy NOISE not MUSIC! 

@mdalton 

I appreciate the quick update. As you already know, any new additions may take few fine adjustments to get it right. So tweak away my friend! 

@mulveling 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on gain settings. They will serve as quick reference when I am ready to further tweak my system with an SUT.  BTW, have you heard of FonoLab. I am conversing with their senior chief engineer/owner on SUT options. Great exchange so far and I am intrigued by Tamura transformers :-) 

Dear @mulveling : With all respect you don’t need to be " ironic " or post that kind of " taunt ".

I know who you are and your overall high knowledge levels and I know for sure that you undersand exactly what I posted that from my part was not a way to " taunt " of any one of you but only facts. You already know that no single of your SUTs has that kind of wide FR and you know too the importance of that spec in any SUT.

Btw, the AU-1000 transformers are not silver wired and were made expressely by Tamura exclusively by Denon order. No other Tamura transformers came close to the ones in the AU-1000.

In the vintage years Tamura and Altec were the best transformers as a line models. Some of them silver wired.

R.