Step Up Transformers….Are they Worth the Trouble?

@mulveling stated "EAR made a head-amp unit "The Head" which is discontinued and hard to find used (and sought after by some) - supposedly very good". 

I have been very curious about this model for many many years, it is a SUT and is produced at a time before EAR was an Incorporated Company.

Not to long ago an infrequent attendee of the local HiFi Group brought their bought at the time of production for £200 TX 4 'The Head' SUT, which the owner referred to the model as being 'The Brick', to be demo'd.

The TX 4 was compared to a few SUT's which I will say as a comparison. The short in length demo's showed the TX 4 to be much more extrovert and out  in the room, voluminous and room filling are a very noticeable trait from its presentation.

During the short Demo's the TX 4, seemed to draw parity in a comparison with a Group Members own design Head Amp. These Two both produced very Transparent room filling sound. The TX 4 might be the least Rich in Tonality SUT I have been in front of?   

The following is apparently a extract of a correspondence being had with TDP in 2016.

"I will try to find old literature , how dare you say I did not design lock stock and barrel everything in the HEAD TX4?

I do all my own transformers not like my competitors who go to mr transformer man please make me transformer! I designed the step up device in 1979 to be the best in the world period. More bandwidth more headroom better square wave etc. Still no one has matched it. If I had to market today I would have to price it at £3000. I made about 200 units. I will not disclose winding details or core type other than usual mumetal 78% Nickel. The highest inductance core material".

For yet more food for thought, Steve Gutenberg recently reviewed a new Zesto Tube Phone Preamp, but he intentionally chose the MM one not the more expensive MM/MC one, but instead used, you guessed it, SUTs with it. 

You guys with MC carts, have fun. 

ZESTO's new Tube Phono Preamp is a KNOCKOUT! (youtube.com)

“You guys with MC carts, have fun.”

@moonwatcher

That’s the idea and partly the reason for this amazing hobby!

@lalitk 

a little more time with the new SUT today.  not just more dynamic - more of everything.  I was missing out on a lot of Koetsu magic previously.  Very cool. Looking forward to hearing about your experience. 

Steve Gutenberg recently reviewed a new Zesto Tube Phone Preamp, but he intentionally chose the MM one not the more expensive MM/MC one, but instead used, you guessed it, SUTs with it. 
 

The more expensive Zesto phonos use a SUT internally with the internal MM phono section. They use Jensen transformers.

The likely reason he chose the MM only phono is so that he can use his own choice of SUT.