MC transformers - what do they sound like?

Dear David12: +++++ " . There are still compromises with the "ultimate", design, such as the boulder. Perhaps its more interesting to discuss which way you would design the best stage you could build, at any cost, would that be active or transformer based? I don;t know the answer. " +++++

I don't want to speak about Boulder, but you can read the review on Stereophile and if you read it in deep, both parts: subjective and objective/measurements ones, you can see that maybe it is not the " ultimate ". Certainlly by price it is, the phono/line preamp it is only: 46K.

Now, if you take a look around phonopreamps: what do you find?

FM Acoustics, Boulder, Rowland, Pass, Klyne, Levinson, Krell, Aesthethix, Supratek, Gryphon, etc, etc.: all these people choose active gain stages not SUTs Do you think that these " facts " are a good answer to your question?

Do you think that we take 12 years of work with our self active gain design just for fun?

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Swampwalker: +++++ " One additional thought or question I would throw in the mix is this- are there certain upstream or downstream choices that affect the step up vs gain stage decision, all other factors being equal? " +++++

In my opinion, other than money/price, no know-how and poor interest in music quality reproduction I don't think exist any upstream/downstream about. The choice must be active gain stage.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Rauliruegas...Transformers do have their proponents. In addition to the MC phono aplication, some prefer transformer-coupled amplifier stages over capacitors, and some prefer variable coupling transformers over pots for volume control.

Dear Eldatford: Yes, I agree with you and I respect to every single preferences that have the people.

I'm only given my opinion/answer to an especific Downunder question: " Besides providing gain, are good quality MC transformers transparent to the signal they are providing the gain to?. "

I think that the question here is not which proponents exist about the subject but which way is best for achieve a better quality music reproduction.
I know that are many SUT proponents but that does not means they are right about. The SUT is an easy way to hide bad designs, but the medicine ( SUT ) is worst than the illness ( bad design ) because to a bad design you have to add another disadvantage named: SUT. My advise is that the SUT proponentes have to learn about. Like Tom say: " Knowledge is power. "

Btw, ++++ " some prefer transformer-coupled amplifier stages over capacitors " +++++, as you know this statement ( both designs ) is the non right way, the right way is: direct coupled amplifier that is always a challenge for the designers.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Rauliruegas...Agree that dirct coupled amps are best. I have some Kenwood LO-7M monoblocks that are direct coupled. Such an amplifier is really a DC power supply, with high slew rate and analog voltage control.