MC phono stage without transformer?

Dear Kirk: +++++ " Now I understand and respect a design approach that tolerates a mismatch here to acheive other objectives, but in terms of noise performance for i.e. a 5-ohm phono cartridge, a well-executed transformer/autoformer input topology will ALWAYS perform best. " +++++

I have to disagree with you here because IMHO that depends on the design, that btw we don't tolerate any mismatch at any single level " to achieve other objectives ".

+++++ " NOT deliver their best noise performance when coupled directly to an input stage, especially one that uses JFETs... " +++++

here I agree with you.

+++++ " There is simply too much variation in cartridge design and manufacturing methods to be able to allow EVERY cartrige to work its best with a single type of phono preamp .. " +++++

again it depends on the design.

+++++ " And finally, the biggest issue with improper cartridge loading has very little to do with the transformer or the lack thereof, but with the lack of standards and consistency among cartridge manufacturers... " +++++

that's another reason why the SUTs are not the best way to go.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Raul,

"well you don't know every one and certainly not the best integrated units"

sure my notes are made out of my experiences and I cannot have tried ALL high class units. The mentioned ones have been the ones I was living with for a longer time, but I heard more in different systems (most of my audio friends made the same experiences like me and listening with step up transformers now). Do I heard the best integrated units?...I dont know, but I had one of the most regarded and exclusive solid state phonostages which is said by many people to be clearly above the level of most SS designs, the Gryphon Orestes. As mentioned this one was very good, even slightly "better" in some specific hifi terms such as bass power BUT it doenst let you forget about the technical aspect of music reproduction as my actual set up. My maybe limited experience is enough to make my say that a good transformer is at least not a bigger compromise than a SS unit in general. There might be units like the Atmasphere preamps with high gain tube MC stages which might be a good way of getting rid of the transformers. I just heard the MP3 which was ok but doenst convinced me.

Before getting my actual stuff I was running an all Gryphon SS system never giving a thought about tubes and transformers. But after getting my actual preamp "by accident" I was almost shocked what I was missing all the time. Here we are for sure also on the area of personal taste and I have experience that different people have different ways of listening to music. For me, the more a component lets me forget about hifi, gives sense to music and touch me emotional the better I find component, but I also have made the experience that a lot of people rather focus on things like dynamic, detail, frequency extension instead.

Dear Ron: +++++ " . For me, the more a component lets me forget about hifi, gives sense to music and touch me emotional the better I find component.... " +++++

I share with you totally this statement: that is all about!!!!

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Is it any surprise that Atmasphere dislikes MC phono step-up TRANSFORMERS!!!!

But the problems which plague power output transformers hardly exist for tiny signal transformers. Purists will dislike having an extra device in the signal path, but an extra gain stage is the same thing.

We can recite all the theoretical deficiencies of step-up transformers, but the darned things evidently aren't paying attention, and work very well.

Dear Eldartford: +++++ " But the problems which plague power output transformers hardly exist for tiny signal transformers. " +++++

How is that? could you explain about?, maybe I'm missing something and I want to tell you that I not only owned several ones but I was a SUT's fanatic/devotee till I " learn ".

There are two areas ( frequency extremes range ) where the SUT degradation are totally audible ( very special on bass. ) against a well active device design and I'm talking here of that " tiny signal ", at least that is my experiences about.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.