MC transformers - what do they sound like?

Dear Gregm: +++++ " . But let's face it: as Gregadd seems to imply, a good tranny, while expensive, is nowhere near the cost and rarerity of an outstanding fully active 80-100db riaa. " +++++

Well, a Manley Steelhead or a Lamm one are not inexpensive units: both use SUTs and , here, you have to pay for it. Yes, a good Phonopreamp with out SUTs is more expensive.

+++++ " If what Raul is to make sense, he is using a very well stabilised active circuit and he's using his components in their optimum operating region. That's difficult and painstaking to design and implement ... " ++++

Absolutely, that's why is so expensive and it is not only a money issue it is deep knowledge about.

We love music and we love to care about its home reproduction. We love to have almost perfect targets about and we love and take the hard challenge: it is exaiting, fun and extremly emotive/emotional experiences about.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Gregad: +++++ " This means that we need a preamp with about 60-80db gain in the phono stage.Agree Y/N?
Optimally we also need about 80-100db S/N ratio(unweighted). AgreeY/N? " +++++

I think that you forgot to the most important characteristic in a Phonopreamp: we need a phonopreamp because the PP is the only audio device that can reproduce in the right way the cartridge signal due to mimic the inverse RIAA eq. The specs here is, which is the RIAA eq. deviation?: I think that has to be in no more than 1 db ( +,- 0.5 db ), ours is 0.02 db.

Btw, our S/N ratio ( MC ) is 82.5 db A weighted refered to 0.5 mv.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Clio09: +++++ " Both these designers make outstanding phono stages and I'm sure they would never recommend something that is proven to compromise the sound of their designs. " +++++

These gentleman, like many others, make their designs with a price target and they make their design inside that price target. This " limited/inadequate " price target put a lot of compromises in the quality sound reproduction of the audio devices and in this case they have to make compromises in the quality sound reproduction using SUTs. Of course that they can do better but they choose their trade-offs.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Shane: I never said thet the SUTs are bad, what I said is that any SUT design at any price do severe degradation to the quality of the signal that comes from the cartridge and that a PP design with out SUTs is a lot better that one with SUTs.
+++++ " I think as a few of the guys in the thread here have stated - it all depends on the design, the listener's musical preference and current tonal qualities of his system and budget. " +++++
If you want to use it like equalizers, fine it is up to you or up to any one but trying to cover faulties in the audio chain through SUTs is a double mistake!!!!!!!

The transformers exist before the LO cartridges and that transformers were not designed taking in account the LO cartridges. Someone take the transformers, like a patch, and introduce to us in audio: very bad play.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Well in Luke Manleys' defense he clearly is using the transformer to lower the noise floor. Go to his website and check for yourself. I have stated before that frequency response especially in electronics remains the most overated spec ever. He does claim s/n of 100db.