Step Up Transformers….Are they Worth the Trouble?

@rauliruegas  Where an I going to get one of those?

I am not sure, in fact I doubt, that the velocity of sound in the material used to construct the cantilever is necessarily directly proportional to the resulting audio sound quality, meaning "the faster the velocity of sound in the material, the more accurate is the cantilever". This is obviously because the job of the cantilever is to wiggle in the magnetic field due to undulations in the groove at the other end, thereby generating the audio signal as an electrical impulse. The job of the cantilever has nothing to do with conducting sound and might even be a detriment to accurate response to the groove undulations, because of secondary vibration of the cantilever.  Further, aluminum cantilevers or any other type where the stylus can be press-fitted into the cantilever, rather than glued to a blank surface, may actually be an advantage. The glue adds extra mass just where you don't want it.

@mijostyn : I remember that you posted that you never buy the Etsuro Gold because its tracking spec is lower than 80um.

Well Excel was founded like 50 years ago and today the manufacturer workers changed because that problem with the tracking abilities of the Etsuro Gold is similar to thr Hana top of the line, not very good trackers.

In change in the past the Excel ES-10 ( same sapphire top plate than Etsuro Gold. ) has a 90um tracking ability with an output level of 0.2mv when the today designs are in the 0.35-0.4mv, here lower mv output level is better.

I don't know how much spend lalitk for the Etsuro but last year ( NOS ) I bougth the Excel  for only 200.00 and is a great performer with out " luxury " and only high quality level and yes outperforms the Gold that I listened in my system last year ( I posted on the gold somewhere. ). If I remember I share with you the opportunity and you told me that like to liven in the present. Time to time discovering the past is " fantastic " and a " surprise ", worth to do it and is a " win to win " choice. Some of the best designs came from the past.

R.

lewm , those are numbers of the materials characteristics that that true expert took ( I only pasted his information and I think that he knew why and certainly he knows a lot more that you and me together. ) ) and every one knew that the cantilever does not " sense " sound but the groove modulations: are you trying to discover the " black thread " with your post? and about the aluminum that was very first posted in the long MM thread: your " notice " is very old but no problem with.

Btw, that " aluminum advantage " is not really one against boron or diamond cantilevers and that’s it why top today cartridges use boron/diamond and not aluminum with stylus pressed fitted. Yes was JC who shared that aluminum subject in the MM thread. Aluminum stylus pressed/fitted is no existence in the Lyra cartridges however I did it with more than 7+ vintage cartridges in the past and was a mistake from my part. I will let for other specific thread but in the long MM was posted.

R.

lewm , here you can read another cartridge expert manufacturer about sound speed characteristic of diferent cantilever materials that named it. You only have to download the " flyer " :

JVC X-1 2/4 Channel Moving-Magnet Cartridge Manual | Vinyl Engine

As me you are an amateur.

R.