Opinions on Tribute SUTs

[anubisgrau]

How would anyone compare a top line Paul Hynes custom build to going the SUT route. After speaking to him he could build specifically for the shilabe....
Weighing up options...
Adey

In perpetual pursuit.

Do what a manufacturer of your cartridge says. They certainly know better, especially than those who have probably never heard the one.

[farflungstar]

Arkless, without your input and knowledge and the follow up posts to your own I would never have given serious thought to head amps. I hadn't even bothered to read up on them properly because I hate components in a signal path.

Because I'm not rich whenever I decide to upgrade I look at the best on offer and those a tier or so down the chain. I research them, weigh up all the comments, try to find common themes, then decide which is worth skinting myself for, or not.

In this case, the soon to arrive Shilabe cart, I've actually taken a punt in the sense that to equal or beat my current cart which works beautifully with my phonostage, it will need to be very special indeed. This makes choosing the right SUT/head amp very important if a fair comparison is to be made.

There's every possibility that I'll go for the Miyajima SUT which matches the shilabe, but Tom's opinion is that it can be beat and so I need to think about that. However I'm aware that toms ears and system are toms and what he might criticise I might not.

In a nutshell the Hashimotos HM7s are affordable but come naked and I'm not that great at soldering (TT building yes ). And they aren't tailored to cart.

The Tribute can be bought ready built but not tailored to cart. They are however very well priced, and well built.

The Slagle is reasonably priced naked but waaay expensive when boxed, but they can be tailored to the cart.

The Miyajima is expensive, but looks great and is built around the shilabe.

The Rothwell is, I think, built to a price and can't be tailored.

The Paul Hynes is top of the heap of modern head amps though it's a little industrial in design. Its expensive but can be tailored to my cart. Paul is also recognised as truly knowing his shit with power supplies.

The Arkless is built to a price and no doubt shines at that price - but without hearing and comparing it with the Paul Hynes or any of the SUTs I can't say whether it's better, equal or worse. So my judgement has to be based on the assumption that it's built to a price.

I read one of your posts where you said that no one would pay more than £750 for one of your head amps - as it stands i would agree - but a substantially upgraded, cost no object offering would I'm sure find a market. I'm in that market.

However please don't think that I'm only interested in something that costs mega bucks. When faced with upgrading my Slagle autoformer volume to either his silver version at just shy of £2500 and the rather handmade the Truth at less than £1000 I chose the latter - based on its merit and not it's price.

Adey


In perpetual pursuit.

[sjs]

There are those on here who can box up the naked SUTs you mention into nice boxes. There are several examples dotted about. I am currently building some HM-7 SUTs into a case to match a preamp.

[anubisgrau]

The Tribute can be bought ready built but not tailored to cart.

really? is this something new? peter used to tailor his SUTs to your cart, just send him a model.

[Arkless Electronics]

Arkless, without your input and knowledge and the follow up posts to your own I would never have given serious thought to head amps. I hadn't even bothered to read up on them properly because I hate components in a signal path.

Because I'm not rich whenever I decide to upgrade I look at the best on offer and those a tier or so down the chain. I research them, weigh up all the comments, try to find common themes, then decide which is worth skinting myself for, or not.

In this case, the soon to arrive Shilabe cart, I've actually taken a punt in the sense that to equal or beat my current cart which works beautifully with my phonostage, it will need to be very special indeed. This makes choosing the right SUT/head amp very important if a fair comparison is to be made.

There's every possibility that I'll go for the Miyajima SUT which matches the shilabe, but Tom's opinion is that it can be beat and so I need to think about that. However I'm aware that toms ears and system are toms and what he might criticise I might not.

In a nutshell the Hashimotos HM7s are affordable but come naked and I'm not that great at soldering (TT building yes ). And they aren't tailored to cart.

The Tribute can be bought ready built but not tailored to cart. They are however very well priced, and well built.

The Slagle is reasonably priced naked but waaay expensive when boxed, but they can be tailored to the cart.

The Miyajima is expensive, but looks great and is built around the shilabe.

The Rothwell is, I think, built to a price and can't be tailored.

The Paul Hynes is top of the heap of modern head amps though it's a little industrial in design. Its expensive but can be tailored to my cart. Paul is also recognised as truly knowing his shit with power supplies.

The Arkless is built to a price and no doubt shines at that price - but without hearing and comparing it with the Paul Hynes or any of the SUTs I can't say whether it's better, equal or worse. So my judgement has to be based on the assumption that it's built to a price.

I read one of your posts where you said that no one would pay more than £750 for one of your head amps - as it stands i would agree - but a substantially upgraded, cost no object offering would I'm sure find a market. I'm in that market.

However please don't think that I'm only interested in something that costs mega bucks. When faced with upgrading my Slagle autoformer volume to either his silver version at just shy of £2500 and the rather handmade the Truth at less than £1000 I chose the latter - based on its merit and not it's price.

Adey


In perpetual pursuit.

Yer can't argue with a quality reply like that!

[farflungstar]

I spoke with Pieter, he can supply ready built with dip switches for loading which I don't want - maybe I misread him...
Adey

In perpetual pursuit.

[RothwellAudio]

Not that there is anything out of the ordinary about the shilabe to require a head amp to be customised to it according to the specs... pretty standard 0.24mV output (a bit lower than the average but still in the "normal" range) and 16 Ohms internal resistance ....

Absolutely correct. There's nothing about that cartridge which requires anything out of the ordinary. Anyone claiming to make something specially "matched" to that cartridge is at least stretching the truth.

There's every possibility that I'll go for the Miyajima SUT which matches the shilabe...

The Tribute can be bought ready built but not tailored to cart...

The Slagle is reasonably priced naked but waaay expensive when boxed, but they can be tailored to the cart.

The Miyajima is expensive, but looks great and is built around the shilabe.

The Rothwell is, I think, built to a price and can't be tailored.

There's really not much matching to be done for the Shilabe. For a step-up transformer I would recommend a turns ratio of 1:20, but 1:10 or anything in the range 1:10 - 1:20 would be fine.
Tailoring the primary inductance would be a possibility for anyone who does their own winding, but I doubt that anyone claiming to match the transformer to the cartridge is actually doing that.

I'm not sure what you mean by "the Rothwell". I sell several step-up transformers, one of which would be ideal for the Shilabe, and I can make adjustments if you want them. I also sell a headamp which has four gain settings and eight load impedance settings and it too would work very well with the Shilabe. True, they are "made to a price" - or at least a lot more affordable than some of the gear on the market - but don't be seduced by the idea that a higher price automatically translates into a better product.

[farflungstar]

I've read your wonderful write up about step ups, and think I came away from it knowing a heck of a lot more. Thank you. I think your model is the MCL?

I promise I won't be seduced by price, if I came across lots of opinions from people with similar systems saying great things about a 200£ product I'd jump on it (wouldn't we all) but the hashimotos seem to get universal acclaim, as does the astronomically priced AN suts. If I was in the UK I'd have both yours and the arkless round for a listen - but here I have to buy based on careful research and something of a gamble.

All and any input is gratefully received.
Adey


In perpetual pursuit.

[RothwellAudio]

...the hashimotos seem to get universal acclaim, as does the astronomically priced AN suts.

I have no experience of Hashimoto transformers but my experience of Audio Note transformers didn't leave me particularly impressed.

[farflungstar]

I personally think there is maybe more snob appeal than truth in the popularity of the top line AN gear - though their speakers are lovely - in my set up at least.

Where are you based?
Adey

In perpetual pursuit.