step up transformer for clearaudio

Dear Larry: +++++ " Whether someone likes the sound of tubes or solid state or SUT or active amplification is a personal matter. " +++++

I can't agree or say it better than you.

+++++ " But, not everyone who disagrees with you ... is necessarily an idiot. " ++++

I never say that and you know that I don't use that kind of word to refer to any human been, so please don't feel in that way. IMHO I think that what I posted is very clear: no perfect devices, if you think in other way then you have a misunderstood: that's all.

regards and enjoy the music,
raul.

Dear Larry, dear Raul,
I am using special bipolar Class A amplifiers, special FET SE-amplifiers, super regulated heater supply with L-power supply triode only preamplifier with SUT.
So we have most all kinds of active and passive amplification married happy together in my set-up.
Raul will certainly agree that the most advanced SUTs today do add as little coloration, distortion and phase shift to the music as the majority of the better solid-sate-amplifiers available today.

A good SUT is only a good SUT if it is the "right" SUT for the given cartridge.
And only then.

Dertonarm,

I agree with practically everything you have stated. Particularly, I agree with your implication that it is not the particular technology that matters so much as developing the right synergy.

On paper (meaning conventional measurement), I don't know if even the best SUTs will ever measure as well as solid state, but, to me, that hardly matters. I have heard plenty of setups with SUTs that sound terrific. My own phonostage uses a SUT at the front end, so I certainly have no issue with SUTs.

Im using a peerless 4722 with my stradivari which mathematically should overload the preamp input but with the tube pre's Ive tried it with it works great and sounds great. I have found that it overloads all the SS units Ive tried it with though.

Dear Dietrich: You and me knows exactly the differences between those gain approaches.
I don't want to talk about advantages or disadvantages on either. Like you I'm using what I think give me a neutral and accurate response that can/could put me near to the recording.

A controversy between different aproaches ( I'm just tired about ) is a endless one and like you like to say: useless.

Problem is that many people has poor know-how on the subject and poor know-how on music-sound reproduction. You know that every single " War " happened because " ignorance " subjects. You know too that there is no worst " deaf " that the one that does not want to hear. I never stop to learn and like to " hear " from you or any one else but sometimes like I posted: I'm just tired to go on in controversies.

regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.