My System
John Wood KT88 Amp.
Paradise Phono Stage
Sony TTS-8000 Turntable.
PMAT-1010 MK6 Tonearm.
Ortofon Cadenza Bronze
Sony X555ES Cd Player
Yamaha NS1000m Speakers
Hi Adrian,
If it's very very subtle, why use one? Does your stage have direct MC input capability? (Can't see you gear on Tapatalk)
I'm genuinely interested as to what it brings to the party in your system or is there any "expectation bias" due to having invested substantially in an SUT?
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I use the Vida, the SUT adds a slight improvement in airiness and tonallity but it is slight. However it's enough to keep it in the loop - and it's not expectation bias, I've had it a good while now and experimented with and without - I like it in. The Vida is a head amp I guess, so they can be superb, but they're not cheap! Tom may have a different opinion as he's now using the Ear pre.
Technics SP10 mk2
Jan Allaerts MC 1 Boron mk1 cart
Miyajima Shilabe cart
Hashimoto HM-X SUT
Siggwan (gimballed not unipivot) Cocobola 12"
Aurorasound Vida LCR Phonostage
The Truth linestage
Dave Slagle Autoformer Volume Controller
Cary 805c SET amps
Audio Note ANe-SPX speakers
Townshend Isolda speaker cables
Cardas Golden Presence interconnects
Agree with Adey - it's plain the SUT improves things over straight MC input - not massive, but it's definitely noticeable. Don't get me wrong it's a top quality MC input and it's perfectly possible to use it that way, but a good SUT just adds that bit more air and dimensionality. This was most noticeable when I used it with the Audio Note Japan AN-S6cc but was also quite discernable with the Hashimoto HM-7 and the TX103.
Location: Ferndown, Dorset, UK
Posts: 248
I'm Brook.
Okay I will have a word & get back to you, & yes he has more than 1 very very decent amps
Location: East Sussex
Posts: 419
I'm Nat.
I have been reading this thread with great interest as I have been wondering if an sut would be an upgrade connected to my Trichord Dino with the dip switches set to MM. I have just acquired a Benz Micro Ace SL and wondered if the Trichord is up to the task of getting the very best from this cart and as a very expensive stage is out of my reach would an SUT offer some of what a more expensive stage could give to the Benz?
It can't give what's not there IMO.it may change something in the presentation which may be favourable or not. Unless you're going to spend big (£1k+), don't bother or borrow one and see for yourself. The FRT-3 is probably as good as it gets under (£500 used).
SUTs and Head amps are literally just there to provide Gain to the MC signal to make it work with MM phonostages.
Only my opinion
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I don't know about the Dino, but some MM/MC phono stages actually do sound better used via the MM side with an SUT. The MM/MC version of the EAR 834P springs to mind, where this was very evident.
As SUT's tend to resell at the price paid for them, there's not a lot to lose by trying one. Cheap SUT's are a disaster though and ruin the MC experience. Regard something like the Fidelity Research FRT-3 as being at the minimum price point for something worthwhile.
It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!