Recommendations for MM Phono ~ Tube or Solid State

What if they are optimized for a specific cartridge along with rest of the components? And please don’t overlook or discount the user preferences.

@lalitk I probably have a skewed perspective as I have LPs that I recorded and I have the master tapes. So I know how those LPs are supposed to sound.

If the SUT is optimized for the cartridge and if its properly loaded it still will not have the bandwidth that you can get with an active phono section.

Years ago I found out how important bandwidth in this area can be; there was a phono section that came off as quite bright in a local dealer's showroom. They had us test it; what I found was the an extra timing constant had been added to the RIAA characteristic that caused it to go flat (so a 'zero' instead of a 'pole' for all you engineering types) at 50KHz. It caused phase shift down to about 5KHz. By removing it the phono section then sounded right, as well as measured right with the inverse RIAA network I used to test it; one of those cases where you could measure and hear what was going on.

“If the SUT is optimized for the cartridge and if its properly loaded it still will not have the bandwidth that you can get with an active phono section.”
@atmasphere

Thank you for sharing your perspective. You may be right but I intend to test your findings by a/b both setups. I have no idea what equipments were used in your test setup. When I post my findings…I will post them with every component in my signal chain.

@lalitk I was use an Atma-Sphere MP-1. Its fully balanced; when using SUTs with it they ran balanced (as any transformer can) as well.

Dear @lalitk : " don’t overlook or discount the user preferences. "

" audio reproduction is highly subjective. " " Some prioritize detail and accuracy, while others value warmth and emotional engagement. "

and I can post several other statements coming from you where only confirm that your ears/subjectivity is what command your way of thinking and that’s you.

I respect your pount of view the controversy between you and me is that even today just does not understand which is my overall point of view where what I like or what could be my preference it does not matters as main target but the important main and critical target that I fail to transmit here is that I’m talking of WHAT SHOULD BE it does not matters if I like it or not ( my self ).

If what SHOULD BE does not like it in my room/system that tells me that somewhere in the room/system chain is just not " playing " rigth that something is wrong. Obviously with a good recorded LP’s, and needs to find out where and fix it.

Your 100% subjectivity can’t " compete " or be a serious challenge against some us audiophiles that some way or the other try to mantain an equilibrium between objectivity and subjectivity. Atmasphere posted around that scenario in very good terms and between others gentlemans I’m thinking in @lewm and @mijostyn too.

I have to say that it’s not easy mantain those equilibrium because sometimes ( not usually ) subjectivity " has " more weigth.

Detail, accuracy, emotional and several other terms are intrinsec to the MUSIC live MUSIC, however warmth is a full subjective adjective. Live MUSIC seated at nearfield position is everything you want but warmth. Yes, recorder engineering on porpose can make the LP warmth on some tracks or MUSIC score but that does not means is rigth because that is not whatttttt Should BE. We can’t deceit the Objectivity but in the other side almost every day we are deceiting subjectivity in each one preferences. Subjectivity could change day by day depending on you mood that day however objectivity does not.

Yes, the majority of audiophiles including you just does not care of that: SHOULD BE and this is precisely what I’m talking about in this thread and other Agon threads in at least 15+ years.

All those are the differences between your posts and mine.

R.

Atmasphere, Since your MP1 is inherently a high gain phono section with no need for a SUT, when have you heard it with a SUT? I know there is an option to convert the dual differential cascode input stage into a simpler dual differential input stage, in order to reduce phono gain.  Was it in such a set-up that you then inserted a SUT?