Transformer stepup size

Dear Divo: I think that you are like many people ( like me ) that always are trying to find the best analog sound reproduction quality. The most important issue about a stepup-transformers is not the size of it or the quality sound of it, for the anolog music lover the most importantt issue is: NEVER USE A STEPUP TRANSFORMER, always use a preamp with a built-in high gain ( for low output moving coil cartridges ) phono stage. When you use a SUT the critical signal from your low output cartridges has to go trough additionals connectors and interconnect cables that degraded the signal, and not only this the signal degraded too because has to go trough severals meters of wire ( transformers ) inside the SUT. So, the best SUT is NO SUT. This is a fact and you can probe it: her the same signal trough a SUT and trough a preamp with a buil-in phono stage and you will hear the BIG difference.
Don't take my word for sure, do this test: hear it.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Raul, after the frequency with which you have insisted that one MUST use only a preamp with a built-in high-gain phono stage, perhaps you would extend your comments and cite some specific examples of such peramps that have proved worthy in your experience.

A fellow A'goner was using a high gain phono stage. Just for kicks he borrowed my BentAudio stepups and tried them into the MM stage of his preamp. That setup blew his high gain phono stage out of the water. He literally had it up for sale hear in less than a week.

There is no "always" on this issue. It depends on the components being compared, and possibly on other components in the system as well. As '4yanx' said, how about some specific recommendations instead of dogma.

I've used Mitchell cotter passive, Counterpoint SA-2 tube active, Music reference RM-4 tube active, ARC MCP-2 SS active, supex passive, Ortofon 3000 passive on various preamps ( ARC sp-11 MKII, counterpoint SA-5000, Marantz 7-c, music reference RM-5, HK Citation I ) and found very different results. However, the external step up devices are more dynamic overall than the build-in MC stage in SP-11 and SA5000. I prefer the tube active step up like the SA-2 and the RM-4 over the rest. The RM-4 has the best dynamic overall. The SA-2 is not as "see through" but it has slight warmer and relax tone compared to the RM-4 ( thx to tube retifier.)

However, if I have $$$$ to buy the super expensive reference high gain phono stages then maybe I don't need the step up.

I have not found a better MC stage than HK citation I + music reference RM-4 combo for the VDH black beauty so far.

Doug,

I too think that there are always tradeoffs:
The high-gain devices are far not linear and surely complex. Designing a high-gain phonostage is a challenge of carefull selection of parameters and feedback but in return still even for budget it's better choice than step-up especially in low-end resolution that even a very good quality transformer won't have...