SUTs(Step-Up Transformers)
Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 9:11 pm
Stereophile reporting for work here. Let's talk about SUTs(Step-Up Transformers) for analog playback...
Some phono cartridge types: moving coil (MC) produce low voltage signals w/c are inadequate for the moving magnet (MM) section of phonostages. To use them, you have two choices: either use the active moving coil section of your phonostage(if there is one) or hook up a passive SUT to the existing MM input.
In my set-up I have phonos(Creek OBH 15, Black Cube SE & EAR 834P) with both MM/MC inputs. I was curious as to what sonic difference a SUT can provide. I was in luck at the time. Plasticman lent me his vintage Fidelity Research FRT-3.
It's my avatar on the left. It has one input and three settings: pass, 10 ohm & 30 ohm. I'll keep it simple for now. Depending on the voltage output of your MC cart, you choose between the 10 ohm and 30 ohm. 30 ohm has more gain. The pass feature is used if you are using an MM cart.
The cart I first tried it with in my system is my Lyra Skala. It is an MC cart with 0.5mv output. This is pretty good for an MC cart. I set it at 10 ohms. I was previously using the cart with the MC section of my Black Cube SE at 100 ohms.
I was playing Ella & Louis(Verve). The diff The midrange became silky smooth with a bit more warmth and intimacy. My kind of music. Using the Black Cube w/c was warm for an SS phono, Ella had less weight & heft and seemed a little dry. Let me be clear about the Black Cube SE: I like it. I like what it does to the recording. I preferred it over so many phonostages, that I got 2 units. What the FRT-3 did was bring up the performance a couple of notches more Amazing P
Problem was, the FRT-3 was not mine. I had to RETURN it to plasticman I told myself I could not listen to my set-up w/o it. It rar5ely crops up on ebay. It is even rarer locally. I am a patient person. I kept on telling myself to be very patient....very, very patient. As luck would have it, I snagged one off ebay
I have tried it with my FR MC201(0.1mv), Denon DL-103(0.3mv) & DL-103R(0.25mv). These worked better at the 30 ohm setting. I do prefer having the SUT in the analog chain.
Should you decide to try one, you have to carefully match the SUT to the impedance of your cart. There are extensive articles about SUTs on Vinyl Engine should you be interested.
So tell me, what SUTs have worked for you and with what carts. Do post the settings of your SUTs.
Some phono cartridge types: moving coil (MC) produce low voltage signals w/c are inadequate for the moving magnet (MM) section of phonostages. To use them, you have two choices: either use the active moving coil section of your phonostage(if there is one) or hook up a passive SUT to the existing MM input.
In my set-up I have phonos(Creek OBH 15, Black Cube SE & EAR 834P) with both MM/MC inputs. I was curious as to what sonic difference a SUT can provide. I was in luck at the time. Plasticman lent me his vintage Fidelity Research FRT-3.
It's my avatar on the left. It has one input and three settings: pass, 10 ohm & 30 ohm. I'll keep it simple for now. Depending on the voltage output of your MC cart, you choose between the 10 ohm and 30 ohm. 30 ohm has more gain. The pass feature is used if you are using an MM cart.
The cart I first tried it with in my system is my Lyra Skala. It is an MC cart with 0.5mv output. This is pretty good for an MC cart. I set it at 10 ohms. I was previously using the cart with the MC section of my Black Cube SE at 100 ohms.
I was playing Ella & Louis(Verve). The diff The midrange became silky smooth with a bit more warmth and intimacy. My kind of music. Using the Black Cube w/c was warm for an SS phono, Ella had less weight & heft and seemed a little dry. Let me be clear about the Black Cube SE: I like it. I like what it does to the recording. I preferred it over so many phonostages, that I got 2 units. What the FRT-3 did was bring up the performance a couple of notches more Amazing P
Problem was, the FRT-3 was not mine. I had to RETURN it to plasticman I told myself I could not listen to my set-up w/o it. It rar5ely crops up on ebay. It is even rarer locally. I am a patient person. I kept on telling myself to be very patient....very, very patient. As luck would have it, I snagged one off ebay
I have tried it with my FR MC201(0.1mv), Denon DL-103(0.3mv) & DL-103R(0.25mv). These worked better at the 30 ohm setting. I do prefer having the SUT in the analog chain.
Should you decide to try one, you have to carefully match the SUT to the impedance of your cart. There are extensive articles about SUTs on Vinyl Engine should you be interested.
So tell me, what SUTs have worked for you and with what carts. Do post the settings of your SUTs.