New toy - Hashimoto SUT

[Ammonite Audio]

I find myself often placing SUTs face down, to have easy access to the connectors, so this type of construction would be just the thing for me, mainly since the properly screened interconnects that sound best to me (the old and now sadly defunct Epiphany Atratus III) are relatively stiff and unwieldy, so having them plugged in vertically is helpful.

I have to say that this one looks very smart indeed and, importantly, large enough and presumably stable enough to stay where it's put.

[farflungstar]

Yes Hugo it's very very heavy, very. The main casing looks to be 3mm steel and the walnut surround (darker and richer than the foto) is also heavy. It sits on large rubber isolation feet and is immoveable.

There is only the faintest hum if you press your ear to the speaker.

My initial impressions with the allaerts was the bass - enormously deeper (something the allaerts has always lacked), but the top end was not as refined as im used to (the HMX is flat to 100khz) - but this was on the lower setting (3-7ohm cart internal) and tonight I'll try the highest setting at 12-40ohm. The allaerts is 10ohm.

I also had to use a shit interconnect which I've never used because it is not so clean in the top end and this might be the culprit. Am stuck between ordering new cables, RFC Pluto + mercury, VDH integration, or Townsend Fractal. I hate buying cables blind.

[paulf-2007]

The Allaerts or the Miyajima?
Adey

The Allaerts obviously, that's the one you are using in your report

[farflungstar]

Ok so I'm listening on the high gain setting... Good news and bad news...

The top end is superb, ultra layered and refined, sweet and spacious. Bass has lessened but not too much.

However, hum is now a problem, between tracks im aware of from the listening position as a subtle background hum. Turning up the volume to higher than I normally listen increases it noticeably. So... How can I lessen it? It's situated well away from anything electrical, has the ground from arm attached as well as a ground running to the phonostage....

Any thoughts....

[flapland]

Have you tired disconnecting the ground from the amp or arm or even just ground the arm on the amp. Also try your interconnects the other way round as some ground one end but not the other.

[Dubster68]

Its like a piece of Art

[montesquieu]

Have you tired disconnecting the ground from the amp or arm or even just ground the arm on the amp. Also try your interconnects the other way round as some ground one end but not the other.

Agree with this advice. Generally speaking SUT hum is either a ground loop (which can usually be fixed by wiring changes - disconnecting the earth lead works surprisingy often) or some kind of pickup from a nearby transformer. If you pick the unit up and move it around and the hum level changes then it's the latter - there's usually a sensible place for it. Shielded leads are useful in this case.

[farflungstar]

Solved. I was using DNM Reson between SUT and Vida. Changed for Cardas golden presence - totally gone! Bloody cables a bit short though. But functional!

[flapland]

Glad it was sorted so quickly and easily as hum can a sod.

[farflungstar]

Update - the allaerts prefers the low gain setting, there's a nice depth and texture from mid down and less spotlighting of the extreme top end - just a tad more natural to my ears. Percussion is sublime on the high gain setting but the mid is robbed of a little body.

To be honest I suspect it is happier into the Vida @ 100ohms (100ohms is the makers recommendation) but will swap back tomorrow and compare. The Hashimto was bought for the Miyajima which will be here next week along with its older brother - and I'm confident they will be a perfect match.