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.
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.