Dynavector XV1-S and step-up

Lewm: thanks for the context. Just to clarify, I've been listening to my pre-amp for 2 years, so know it well. I just haven't explored SUTs (or external phonos, as the integrated phono is part of the attractiveness of the Shindo).

Will listen to a few SUTs and clearly form my own opinion. Having said that, I enjoy getting educated, and confused and appreciate the effort of all who post.

Cheers

Dear Hatari: Poor was not the right word. Let me explain in some other way:

you say that you are looking for an external SUT where I think will be a degradation ( even if the SUT is a " perfect " design. ) to the cartridge signal because that signal has to pass for additional stages: additional connectors and additional cables. IMHO these additional stages along the non-perfect SUT the only job that can do is to degrade that cartridge signal: it can't improve it in anyway, more signal process means more distortions/degradations.

In the other side your Masseto is full of transformers: internal SUTs for MC signal process and output transformers that in both cases put a distortion-signature to the cartridge signal.
I know that you like what you have but I think that you have a near " Ferrari " ( analog front end ) driving with " bycycle tires ", this is only an opinion where yours is the most important one.

Looking to your Masseto I think that you could do a little better with the MM alternative, at least an alternative easy to try and an inexpensive one.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Raul, I know you have a lot of experience with analog, but I'll have to disagree
with your posts on the Shindo. I know you have an existing aversion against
step-ups, but it would be wrong to judge the Shindo implementation without
first hearing it.

I have heard many solid state, tube+SUT, and hybrid (tube MM+SS MC)
phonostages over the past months and would say that the Shindo + SUT
certainly in the top of all the phono amps I heard. For example, my Pass
XOno does not reach the level of detail, extension, and natural tone that my
Shindo Monbrison + external SUT provides. The Shindo is at a completely
different level in terms of capturing fine nuances and detail in my experience.

It took a while though to find a step-up that works well with my Allaerts
MC1B and your opinion is certainly true for many of the step-ups I tried. I
have heard really bad tube + SUT phonostages (even at the $5k level, and I
heard equally bad solid state amps). There are excellent ones on both sides
though.

Of course, I am sure there are even better solid state phono stages than the
XOno but then there are even higher end Shindo preamps too. I certainly
haven't heard the level of detail with solid state that I heard with Shindo so
far.

Of course I have heard not nearly as many different cartridges and tables as
you have, but I have certainly heard good implementations and designs on
both sides, tube+SUT and solid-state.

With best regards,

Rene

Dear Rene: I understand your point of view through your experiences where certainly the XOno is not a good example for the top quality performance level that you and me are accustom for.

I don't have an " aversion " on SUTs, as a fact I try several SUTs through the time including the " old " Shindo ones but when you have the opportunity to mate in your system a very top quality design phonolinepreamp with no SUTs against any other with SUTs then you can understand what I'm talking about.
IMHO I think that you like many other people ( Japanese people between them. ) never had that opportunity but there are people that already heard and try on that kind of top quality design units and I can tell you that no one of them can/could return to SUTs: evolution is the name of the game, if we don't " evolution ": well we " die ", IMHO sooner or latter we need to WALK ahead with the right " focus ".

I don't compart/share the whole audio attitude to stay almost in the same " land/place " going deep in that " hole " with no hope to improve/evolution, with no hope to be better but only a little different!

I respect to all kind of personal audio attitude but mine is a little different from other ones, at least in that audio evolution subject.

I don't want to start a polemic about SUTs ( like Axel posted:tired to read in several threads about. ) it is almost futile.

Rene, if you own a Ferrari what do you want to do about? switch the engine ( in your garage ) to only hear that marvelous motor sound? or switch the engine and driving ( move ) that Ferrari enjoy the Ferrari unique whole experience?.
Not many people own a Ferrari and certainly they want to " discover " the whole " Ferrari experience " and not only the static engine sound.

The Japanese people die for the SUT's ( like several other people. ), they like its distortions but that does not means is the best way to go with LOMC cartridges, there are other alternatives that IMHO are better.

Anyway, my advise to Hatari is that he try an alternative, either: MM or a differnt phonolinepreamp or both.

I think/assume that he wants to achieve not only a different quality performance but a better one and the Masseto is an " obstacle " to do it.

Maybe some of you think that because the Masseto is over 10K must be a great unit, well it is not at least for LOMC cartridge task.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Raul, Have you heard a Masseto or other similar Shindo phono preamp driven by a LOMC? If so, was it on your own system where you are used to the baseline sound? I am asking just out of curiosity, because you are speaking with a great deal of conviction that suggests you have done the homework.