View Full Version : Which MC SUT?
Ammonite Audio
08-09-2012, 13:54
I have decided that I do need to treat myself to a new SUT when I get home. My Bob's Devices Cinemag SUT is great for what it costs, but I have heard Martin's Choir Audio Hashimoto HM7 SUT (http://www.choiraudio.com/Hashi%20sut.htm) and life was not really the same afterwards. It was very good.
That ought to point towards an easy choice, since the Choir Audio SUT is fairly priced and is a known entity; however I rather like the idea of the Music First SUT (http://www.mfaudio.co.uk/mcstepup.htm), which has a bit more flexibility in terms of gain and loading, although at a higher price point than Choir's SUT (even taking into account import duty and VAT).
I can, of course, try the Music First SUT at home, but I'd be interested to hear comments from anyone who has experience with this SUT, particularly with Ortofon or Benz low output MC cartridges.
A wildcard option is to go DIY, perhaps employing Audio Note transformers, but I'm not sure that I have the patience and skills required to implement them properly.
Thoughts, anyone?
Hugo, why don't you home loan the Music First SUT and I could bring the Choir SUT-H7 around for a comparison if you like?
Hi Hugo,
Martin's Hashimotos are very good indeed, and they certainly get the thumbs up from me. However, IME, the secret to success with an SUT is in achieving synergy, sonically, with the partnering cartridge - and that means finding the ideal match.
Martin was lucky that he happened to hit upon such synergy, between his Shelter 5000 and the H7, but there's nothing to say that the same will apply with your Ortofon (Kontrapunkt B?) unless you've listened to your T/T, with that cartridge, in Martin's system? That principle also applies with the Music First unit, which you're considering. Who knows which cartridge will provide the idea balance with it, sonically? It's a bit of a lottery....
In my view, one of the easiest ways of achieving the desired synergy is to use a cartridge and SUT from the same manufacturer. That way, you get the benefits of them both being designed (and voiced) together from the ground up...
It's not simply about electrical matching, but more importantly the respective 'sonic signatures' of the cartridge, and the transformers used in the SUT, synergising together, in order to achieve the right sound balance. The last thing you want is an inherently toppy sounding SUT, paired with a similarly voiced cartridge (or the opposite), and no amount of fiddling with gain or loading values will cure such a fundamental imbalance.
With my extensive experimenting recently with various SUT, before settling on the Ortofon, I found this aspect of 'voicing' the SUT to the cartridge, out with of more prosaic considerations, such as gain and loading, absolutely crucial to achieving the most musical sounding results. Since you have an Ortofon cartridge, I would urge you to consider Ortofon's own top-of-the-range SUT, the ST-80SE, which I myself use:
http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/6143/st80secontentimage.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/513/st80secontentimage.jpg/)
http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/9655/st8020se20back20white20.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/826/st8020se20back20white20.jpg/)
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/4612/techy.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/39/techy.jpg/)
Trust me, it sounds absolutely fabulous with my SPU, and also a Cadenza Bronze, I've heard it with, and I suspect that your own Ortofon cartridge would love it, too. Anyway, it's just another option for you to consider. If you fancy popping up for a listen, when you get back home, just let me know :cool:
Marco.
The Grand Wazoo
08-09-2012, 14:57
I've heard the Music First unit & compared it to Bent Audio Mu's which were also made with S&B transformers. My opinion was that it's flexibility was it's biggest downfall. The Bents are set to what you need them to be (though you can change things if you need to), whereas the MF's switched facilities hobbled the thing badly.
That's a very good point, Chris, which again is why I prefer SUTs 'set' for use with a specific MC cartridge, where results obtained are goverened almost entirely by the inherent characteristics of the transformers themselves. It's a 'source-first', hard-wired approach, that in my experience, works very well.
That way, you remove various breaks in the signal path, introduced by the use of dip-switches, for adjustment of variable gain and loading - the effect of which is significant, in terms of loss of integrity, when one is dealing with such minute voltages from low-output MC cartridges.
I'll always go with the 'purist' approach! However, that said, it doesn't seem to hold back Martin's H7 or his Whest, both of which feature the use of dip-switches. I guess that their design is just very well implemented! :)
Marco.
The Grand Wazoo
08-09-2012, 15:05
It's a real shame that S&B stopped supplying John Chapman with their trannies because the Mu's are just brilliant.
Ammonite Audio
08-09-2012, 16:02
Thanks for the comments, particularly about the MF SUT's potential switching losses. Analogue Seduction sell both the MF and Ortofon SUTs, so I may be able to try both. I'd not thought about the Ortofon, which is probably a good match for both my Kontrapunkt B, Rohmann and indeed the brand new Benz Wood SL that I bought before departing overseas.
And, of course, there's Martin's offer of trying his Choir Audio SUT in my system.
This is going to be fun!
Hi Hugo,
If you must use Analogue Seduction, then by all means do so. There's someone else, however, I've used that I can highly recommend.
Btw, there's no problem for me to loan you my ST-80SE, so you can compare it with the others! :cool:
Marco.
chris@panteg
09-09-2012, 09:54
That's a very good point, Chris, which again is why I prefer SUTs 'set' for use with a specific MC cartridge, where results obtained are goverened almost entirely by the inherent characteristics of the transformers themselves. It's a 'source-first', hard-wired approach that, in my experience, works very well.
That way, you remove various breaks in the signal path, introduced by the use of dip-switches, for adjustment of variable gain and loading - the effect of which is significant, in terms of loss of integrity, when one is dealing with such minute voltages from low-output MC cartridges.
I'll always go with the 'purist' approach! However, that said, it doesn't seem to hold back Martin's H7 or his Whest, both of which feature the use of dip-switches. I guess that they're just very well executed! :)
Marco.
Hi Marco
You might be interested to know I had a powerful demonstration of the merrits of matching an SUT to a cartridge yesterday !
My friend John has just traded in his AI 1000 pre and 2nd audios with BP psu's for a Diavolo integrated 300b SE , but is temporarily without a phono stage , so I took mine round with some Mark Grant cables .
After trying the IO into the 33 ohm input of my Diablo with very nice results ! We then plumbed in the AI 1000 SUT which is optimized for the IO and bingo ! Eureka ! Knocked me sideways , it sounded joyous !
chris@panteg
09-09-2012, 09:57
If it's ok to say this ? The Diavolo is marvelous ! Think I'm in love with it , John is one happy chappy .
Nice one, Chris. I'm not surprised that the difference you heard was huge. MC cartridge/SUT matching is crucial, and somewhat of a black art.
It's easy to think that you've got a really good sound going on, that is until you *really* hear what a REALLY GOOD sound is all about!! ;)
Marco.
chris@panteg
09-09-2012, 11:48
Nice one, Chris. I'm not surprised that the difference you heard was huge. MC cartridge/SUT matching is crucial, and somewhat of a black art.
It's easy to think that you've got a really good sound going on, that is until you *really* hear what a REALLY GOOD sound is all about!! ;)
Marco.
I must admit to being a little sceptical to be honest ! But what I heard yesterday was the difference between hearing the magic that an IO can give you or what sounded like a very nice or competent sounding cartridge ! I was a little stunned , John had been toying with the idea of removing the SUT and getting a dedicated mc phono stage , err not now lol
Lol, nice one. I don't see why you were sceptical - the theory makes perfect sense! One of these days people will pay proper attention to what I write about on here... ;)
But what I heard yesterday was the difference between hearing the magic that an IO can give you or what sounded like a very nice or competent sounding cartridge !
That's it in a nutshell :)
Marco.
chris@panteg
09-09-2012, 12:20
Lol, nice one. I don't see why you were sceptical - the theory makes perfect sense! One of these days people will pay proper attention to what I write about on here... ;)
That's it in a nutshell :)
Marco.
I was sceptical because I've only used a couple of MC's , one being a Troika and I used the same AI1000 SUT but although it worked fine using the high setting , I doubt it was an ideal match ? I just lack the experience !
The thing is I really need to hear it for myself I guess .
Absolutement, muchacho... You need to hear things for yourself. It's always nice making discoveries that result in a genuine learning curve! :)
Marco.
One of these days people will pay proper attention to what I write about on here... ;)
It's the same as talking to children, Marco. They have to learn for themselves ;)
Hehehehe... I was yanking his chain :eyebrows:
Marco.
chris@panteg
09-09-2012, 22:02
Hehehehe... I was yanking his chain :eyebrows:
Marco.
Makes a change from yanking you're own , which you do very often .
chris@panteg
09-09-2012, 22:07
It's the same as talking to children, Marco. They have to learn for themselves ;)
Your head must be enormous with all the intellect .
oceanobsession
09-09-2012, 22:13
Hi Hugo,
Martin's Hashimotos are very good indeed, and they certainly get the thumbs up from me. However, IME, the secret to success with an SUT is in achieving synergy, sonically, with the partnering cartridge - and that means finding the ideal match.
Martin was lucky that he happened to hit upon such synergy, between his Shelter 5000 and the H7, but there's nothing to say that the same will apply with your Ortofon (Kontrapunkt B?) unless you've listened to your T/T, with that cartridge, in Martin's system? That principle also applies with the Music First unit, which you're considering. Who knows which cartridge will provide the idea balance with it, sonically? It's a bit of a lottery....
In my view, one of the easiest ways of achieving the desired synergy is to use a cartridge and SUT from the same manufacturer. That way, you get the benefits of them both being designed (and voiced) together from the ground up...
It's not simply about electrical matching, but more importantly the respective 'sonic signatures' of the cartridge, and the transformers used in the SUT, synergising together, in order to achieve the right sound balance. The last thing you want is an inherently toppy sounding SUT, paired with a similarly voiced cartridge (or the opposite), and no amount of fiddling with gain or loading values will cure such a fundamental imbalance.
With my extensive experimenting recently with various SUT, before settling on the Ortofon, I found this aspect of 'voicing' the SUT to the cartridge, out with of more prosaic considerations, such as gain and loading, absolutely crucial to achieving the most musical sounding results. Since you have an Ortofon cartridge, I would urge you to consider Ortofon's own top-of-the-range SUT, the ST-80SE, which I myself use:
http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/6143/st80secontentimage.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/513/st80secontentimage.jpg/)
http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/9655/st8020se20back20white20.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/826/st8020se20back20white20.jpg/)
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/4612/techy.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/39/techy.jpg/)
Trust me, it sounds absolutely fabulous with my SPU, and also a Cadenza Bronze, I've heard it with, and I suspect that your own Ortofon cartridge would love it, too. Anyway, it's just another option for you to consider. If you fancy popping up for a listen, when you get back home, just let me know :cool:
Marco.
Hi marco, just interested to know what you thought about the cadenza bronze, compared to the spu, cheers phil.
Your head must be enormous with all the intellect .
LOL - what I meant was that children won't listen, as observed in my own son's behaviour between the ages of 14 and 18. Apparently, just between those years, I knew absolutely nothing. Strangely enough, my intellect restored itself to its previous glory since he now comes to me for advice again :eyebrows:
MikeMusic
10-09-2012, 07:15
Martin's Hashimotos are very good indeed, and they certainly get the thumbs up from me. However, IME, the secret to success with an SUT is in achieving synergy, sonically, with the partnering cartridge - and that means finding the ideal match.
Martin was lucky that he happened to hit upon such synergy, between his Shelter 5000 and the H7, but there's nothing to say that the same will apply with your Ortofon (Kontrapunkt B?) unless you've listened to your T/T, with that cartridge, in Martin's system? That principle also applies with the Music First unit, which you're considering. Who knows which cartridge will provide the idea balance with it, sonically? It's a bit of a lottery....
In my view, one of the easiest ways of achieving the desired synergy is to use a cartridge and SUT from the same manufacturer. That way, you get the benefits of them both being designed (and voiced) together from the ground up...
It's not simply about electrical matching, but more importantly the respective 'sonic signatures' of the cartridge, and the transformers used in the SUT, synergising together, in order to achieve the right sound balance. The last thing you want is an inherently toppy sounding SUT, paired with a similarly voiced cartridge (or the opposite), and no amount of fiddling with gain or loading values will sort such a fundamental imbalance.
With my extensive experimenting recently with various SUT, before settling on the Ortofon, I found this aspect of 'voicing' the SUT to the cartridge, out with of more prosaic considerations, such as gain and loading, absolutely crucial to achieving the most musical sounding results. Since you have an Ortofon cartridge, I would urge you to consider Ortofon's own top-of-the-range SUT, the ST-80SE, which I myself use:
Trust me, it sounds absolutely fabulous with my SPU, and also a Cadenza Bronze, I've heard it with, and I suspect that your own Ortofon cartridge would love it, too. Anyway, it's just another option for you to consider. If you fancy popping up for a listen, when you get back home, just let me know
Marco.
I heard Martin's SUT and Whest Preamp in my place into my Naim 82/500/Isobariks
Both the my Technics and the LP12 with different set ups both sounded wonderful
They made a tremendous difference
Martin's Technics set up sounded better but not by the same huge amount made by the SUT and Phono Preamp
So now I am in a quandry.
My next logical step is to get hold of a good SUT and Preamp with all else staying the same.
More complicated and way more time consuming - I think - is to audition the whole chain Cart-arm-SUT-Phono preamp, possibly others
I like to do this one box at a time - but I also want a revealing system
Makes a change from yanking you're own , which you do very often .
Have you been peeping through my toilet window, sweety? :lolsign:
Marco.
chris@panteg
10-09-2012, 08:11
LOL - what I meant was that children won't listen, as observed in my own son's behaviour between the ages of 14 and 18. Apparently, just between those years, I knew absolutely nothing. Strangely enough, my intellect restored itself to its previous glory since he now comes to me for advice again :eyebrows:
I took it as an insult and still think it was .
Hi marco, just interested to know what you thought about the cadenza bronze, compared to the spu, cheers phil.
Hi Phil,
The Cadenza has a very similar presentation to the SPU, although it is a little 'cleaner' at the top end, I suspect due to its technically superior (Replicant) stylus, but still has 90% of the captivating natural tonality and addictive musicality of the SPU. The Cadenza is a little more 'hi-fi' sounding, but not in a clinical way. It also has double the output of an SPU, so therefore places less demands on a phono stage.
There's still something 'magical', though, about the way that the SPU reproduces recorded music, somehow without it sounding like it's been recorded: music just 'happens' and sounds so natural and believable, especially the way that voices and acoustic instruments are handled, particularly the sax and piano. There's a beguiling effortlessness to it all which makes performances almost tangible. No other cartridge I've heard does this.
However, the Cadenza Bronze/ST-80SE combo still sounded phenomenal, and was one I certainly could live with, simply as it gives a different and most entertaining view of what's on recordings; it's not as 'soulful', as an SPU, but damn near it, and with other valuable attributes. I may in fact treat myself to a Cadenza Bronze, as a back-up/alternative option for the SPU, as I was rather impressed! :)
Marco.
I took it as an insult and still think it was .
Chris, chillax... I can assure you that no way did Martin mean that he wrote as an insult. He's just not like that. I think it was just one of those jokes that often gets 'lost in the translation' on forums.
Trust me, mate, no-one was taking the piss out of you! :)
Marco.
I took it as an insult and still think it was .
No way, Chris! I never intended an insult: we all have to learn and can't be told. It's pretty much a maxim for any life experience.
I apologise if it came out as an insult as that was never my intention.
oceanobsession
10-09-2012, 15:32
Hi Phil,
The Cadenza has a very similar presentation to the SPU, although it is a little 'cleaner' at the top end, I suspect due to its technically superior (Replicant) stylus, but still has 90% of the captivating natural tonality and addictive musicality of the SPU. The Cadenza is a little more 'hi-fi' sounding, but not in a clinical way. It also has double the output of an SPU, so therefore places less demands on a phono stage.
There's still something 'magical', though, about the way that the SPU reproduces recorded music, somehow without it sounding like it's been recorded: music just 'happens' and sounds so natural and believable, especially the way that voices and acoustic instruments are handled, particularly the sax and piano. There's a beguiling effortlessness to it all which makes performances almost tangible. No other cartridge I've heard does this.
However, the Cadenza Bronze/ST-80SE combo still sounded phenomenal, and was one I certainly could live with, simply as it gives a different and most entertaining view of what's on recordings; it's not as 'soulful', as an SPU, but damn near it, and with other valuable attributes. I may in fact treat myself to a Cadenza Bronze, as a back-up/alternative option for the SPU, as I was rather impressed! :)
Marco.
Marco, both are great cartridges, i thought the spu and cadenza was fat in my system, but it was the speaker cables causing the problem, ive now got
some mogami 2972, much better,im now thinking about a turntable upgrade
but how much would i have to spend to better what ive got. cheers phil.
chris@panteg
10-09-2012, 17:49
No way, Chris! I never intended an insult: we all have to learn and can't be told. It's pretty much a maxim for any life experience.
I apologise if it came out as an insult as that was never my intention.
Very sorry ! I'm just a bit paranoid and on edge at the moment , I got the wrong end of the stick and started beating about the bush with it :doh:
Ammonite Audio
12-09-2012, 16:02
It's decided. I am getting the Ortofon ST-80SE, mainly on Marco's recommendation, but also because it is something that will work well with my various MC cartridges. Price-wise, I feel it's reasonable too.
Ooh, blind purchase, eh? Good luck with it, Hugo, and let us know how it works with that gorgeous Thorens of yours.
Ammonite Audio
12-09-2012, 16:56
Ooh, blind purchase, eh? Good luck with it, Hugo, and let us know how it works with that gorgeous Thorens of yours.
Yup. The Choir Audio SUT would be good, but it's quite a bit more expensive and the Ortofon is at least designed to work with 2 out of my 3 MC cartridges (the Benz is electrically very similar too). I ruled out the Music First on the basis of cost. Somehow, I don't feel that there's much risk with the Ortofon.
It's decided. I am getting the Ortofon ST-80SE, mainly on Marco's recommendation, but also because it is something that will work well with my various MC cartridges. Price-wise, I feel it's reasonable too.
Nice one Hugo, I think you'll love it. When you get it, do remember however that it'll need a good amount of running in before releasing its full potential - I found that about a week of solid use was needed for the sound to 'flesh out' fully.
Are you getting it from Simon? :)
Marco.
Spectral Morn
12-09-2012, 17:34
I should like to point out that Music First offer a custom facility on all their products. They can tailor them to suit a number of applications and this includes settings for the step up transformer and phono stages - that suit an owners particular cartridge.
Hi Neil,
That's true, but the problem is that Music First don't make cartridges, and so no matter how 'tailored to fit your cartridge of choice' their SUTs are claimed to be, none will have been 'born' alongside a specific cartridge, such is the case with the ST-80SE. Essentially, MF are unlikely to have the same in-depth understanding of the complexity of moving-coil cartridges, in the way of a company like Ortofon.
Trust me, it makes all the difference, in terms of achieving genuine sonic synergy. The reason for that is that Ortofon will have selected (by ear) the most optimally matched transformers, sonically, for their cartridges, in order to obtain the correct 'voicing' of the end combination. In the case of the ST-80SE, high-quality examples from Lundahl were chosen.
It’s rather like comparing the effectiveness of an aftermarket 'tweak' from another manufacturer, fitted to, say, a BMW car, and something more fundamental having been engineered in, at the design stage, by BMW, that does the same job - only better! :)
Marco.
Wakefield Turntables
12-09-2012, 19:07
I may in fact treat myself to a Cadenza Bronze, as a back-up/alternative option for the SPU, as I was rather impressed! :)
Marco.
The black is much better, if your going to treat yourself then do it properly :lolsign:
Lol... The Cadenza was touted as sounding 'SPU-like', supposedly partly due to its conical cantilever, which lends it a more 'musical' presentation, and having heard the Cadenza, and compared it with my SPU, I can confirm that the assertion is valid.
Therefore, given that's the case, I suspect that I'd prefer it to the, arguably more accurate and 'superior', Black :)
Marco.
Ammonite Audio
13-09-2012, 01:53
........... Are you getting it from Simon? :)
Marco.
Yup!
Nice one - he's a good chap.
Btw, one thing is crucial to obtaining maximum sonic performance - you must ground the unit by connecting an earth wire to the preamp, via the terminal provided on the rear of the unit. I was shocked at how much difference that made, not only in reducing the SUTs susceptibility to hum, but in opening out the sound in general :)
Keep us posted how you get on when the unit arrives :cool:
Marco.
Btw, one thing is crucial to obtaining maximum sonic performance - you must ground the unit by connecting an earth wire to the preamp
Oh lordy yes, that was a lesson, wasn't it? Even with no apparent hum in the system, get that SUT earthed and you will be shocked at the difference in SQ it makes :eek:
MikeMusic
13-09-2012, 09:14
Oh lordy yes, that was a lesson, wasn't it? Even with no apparent hum in the system, get that SUT earthed and you will be shocked at the difference in SQ it makes :eek:
+1
Double takes all round
Massive difference
chris@panteg
13-09-2012, 11:44
Been thinking about this , would the puresound T10 be a good match for my AT33EV or perhaps the Icon audio SUT , both are around the £330 mark and I certainly don't want to spend anymore !
Unfortunately, I think the Blue CineMags are out of your budget, shame as they are an excellent match for AT33s.
chris@panteg
13-09-2012, 15:51
Unfortunately, I think the Blue CineMags are out of your budget, shame as they are an excellent match for AT33s.
Yes I had a look at those , I also had a look at AT's own SUT , and £1000 is way out of my league , but I like the look of the Puresound T10 , it has plenty of loading options so should be ideal I would have thought ?
Hi Chris,
Been thinking about this , would the puresound T10 be a good match for my AT33EV or perhaps the Icon audio SUT , both are around the £330 mark and I certainly don't want to spend anymore !
Here's a somewhat leftfield recommendation for you... This little unit from Rothwell has been getting some good press recently. Having heard some of their products in the past, and been impressed, I suspect that the MC1 would work very well with your AT, and at £280 it is well within your budget:
http://www.rothwellaudioproducts.co.uk/html/moving_coil_step-up_transforme.html
Have a read through the site and the reviews there. Ignore the link given on the site, as it doesn't take you directly to the review. That can be found here: http://www.musicosis.co.uk/?p=22
The unit can be purchased from the on-line shop, or there is currently a seller on eBay with a couple of them: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rothwell-MC1-Moving-Coil-Step-Up-Transformer-/251094021546?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiF i_Amplifiers&hash=item3a765eb5aa
Comes in black and silver.
:cool:
Marco.
chris@panteg
13-09-2012, 16:59
Thanks Marco
I did have look at the Rothwell , could be just what I need , a choice of three then with the Icon .
If it were me, I'd go with the T10 or the Rothwell :)
Marco.
chris@panteg
16-09-2012, 12:47
If it were me, I'd go with the T10 or the Rothwell :)
Marco.
I exchanged emails with Andrew Rothwell , friendly and helpful chap , Rothwell is the favorite at the moment .
He does indeed know his stuff, Chris, as I've had pleasant dealings myself in the past with him. If you end up with the Rothwell, you won't go wrong... Keep us posted, matey :)
Marco.
chris@panteg
16-09-2012, 13:11
He does indeed know his stuff, Chris, as I've had pleasant dealings myself in the past with him. If you end up with the Rothwell, you won't go wrong... Keep us posted, matey :)
Marco.
Sure will :) I'm going to get one ! Maybe even the MCL version ? There is always the possibility or likelyhood of going back to a valve phono or pre in the future .
PaulStewart
04-10-2012, 14:51
Just finished a review of the new Rothwell MCL SUT and their Rialto phonostage. Very impressed. I already likesd the MC 1 SUT but the MCL is a leap above Review is on Musicosis.co.uk (http://www.musicosis.co.uk/?p=2471)
chris@panteg
04-10-2012, 16:22
Just finished a review of the new Rothwell MCL SUT and their Rialto phonostage. Very impressed. I already likesd the MC 1 SUT but the MCL is a leap above Review is on Musicosis.co.uk (http://www.musicosis.co.uk/?p=2471)
That's good to know , will have a read of that , thanks .
Hi Chris,
Here's a somewhat leftfield recommendation for you... This little unit from Rothwell has been getting some good press recently. Having heard some of their products in the past, and been impressed, I suspect that the MC1 would work very well with your AT, and at £280 it is well within your budget:
http://www.rothwellaudioproducts.co.uk/html/moving_coil_step-up_transforme.html
Have a read through the site and the reviews there. Ignore the link given on the site, as it doesn't take you directly to the review. That can be found here: http://www.musicosis.co.uk/?p=22
The unit can be purchased from the on-line shop, or there is currently a seller on eBay with a couple of them: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rothwell-MC1-Moving-Coil-Step-Up-Transformer-/251094021546?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiF i_Amplifiers&hash=item3a765eb5aa
Comes in black and silver.
:cool:
Marco.
l believe Inspire Audio used this step-up withe Icon Audio PS1? At the Whittlebury Show and quite frankly sounded amazing( especially with the Monarch/SME V 12"/ Ortofon Per Winfeld cartridge) plus in hifi terms not the most expensive phono amplification :)
Yup... I'd also recommend this little chap, as I've had the pleasure of listening to it in my system for the last few weeks (the MCA11 Moving Coil Amplifier):
http://www.albarrymusic.com/
All I can say is that for £500, it's UTTERLY STUNNING! :wow:
Marco.
hifi_dave
06-10-2012, 11:05
http://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/t406/hifi_dave/007-4.jpg
Just so.
Are you a stockist, Dave? If so, I'll remember that, as it's quite a remarkable little unit! :)
Marco.
hifi_dave
06-10-2012, 11:45
Yes, since 1983 or thereabouts.
I did post this pic a few months ago when it first arrived. It's been a steady seller since then.
Magna Audio
06-10-2012, 18:00
I still have a date with pair of Lundahl 1:26 silver wound step up transformers... DIY'd into a box.
One day.
It's Lundahls which are used in the Ortofon ST-80SE, although not the silver variety :)
Marco.
Magna Audio
06-10-2012, 20:33
Aha the Danes and Swedes are all cosy now 500 yrs on!:)
That's interesting, That has peaked my interest in the Lundahl's further...
It's Lundahls which are used in the Ortofon ST-80SE, although not the silver variety :)
Marco.
Ammonite Audio
07-10-2012, 02:06
Only a week or so before I can arrange delivery of my ST-80SE!
Yup, Hugo - not long until you can join in the fun! :)
Marco.
Audioman
07-10-2012, 09:50
Are you a stockist, Dave? If so, I'll remember that, as it's quite a remarkable little unit! :)
Marco.
Marco.
How does the Albarry compare against your valve + SUT. The Ortofon is relatively expensive. Have you compared against cheaper SUT (UK made) such as from Icon Audio and Rothwell? If so what are the perceived benefits? The icon SUTs are used in their valve phono stages which continue to receive great reviews. The latest models are beautifully made for the price btw. Strange they have not received more mention on this forum.
Paul.
The icon SUTs are used in their valve phono stages which continue to receive great reviews. The latest models are beautifully made for the price btw. Strange they have not received more mention on this forum.
They're very good - stylish, well built and good value - more importantly they sound good too. Hifi Dave is a dealer for them, too. See, not just Rega and Harbeth I can shill for! :lol:
Anyway, I'm digressing. :)
Hi Paul,
Sorry I've arrived at this late!
How does the Albarry compare against your valve + SUT. The Ortofon is relatively expensive. Have you compared against cheaper SUT (UK made) such as from Icon Audio and Rothwell? If so what are the perceived benefits? The icon SUTs are used in their valve phono stages which continue to receive great reviews. The latest models are beautifully made for the price btw. Strange they have not received more mention on this forum.
First of all, I have no experience of the Icon SUTs, so can't comment on those. I've heard the Rothwells, and those are very good, but are not quite at the level of the Albarry, which is sonically, head and shoulders above any head amp (and most SUTs) I've heard to date.
The Albarry is a very musically satisfying device, simply because it doesn't appear to impose much of its own 'character' on the sound, and so subjectively speaking, I'd say that it's pretty much sonically transparent. It has excellent detail retrieval and clarity and, to my ears, is tonally neutral. Therefore, all those qualities combine to allow the unit to reproduce recorded music accurately, and thus convincingly.
I'd say that the combination of the Albarry, with a high-quality valve MM phono stage (such as those found in Croft preamps) would form a formidable partnership, and likely compete with standalone phonostages costing in excess of £2k. It's a fantastic device, for me a real sonic revelation, and something which offers excellent SPPV.
In comparison with my Ortofon ST-80SE, the Albarry sounds just a little lightweight in the bass, lacking the former's underpinning of the music with more convincing authority. It also lacks the ability of the Ortofon SUT to deftly unlock the subtlest of nuances in recordings and lay them bare for inspection, and present the human voice in such a natural sounding and almost tangible way, but those are not a traits of the Albarry that would be immediately apparent, unless one is comparing it with much more expensive, and ultimately more capable components.
There is also a fundamental difference in sonic presentation between transistor-based MC head amps and MC step-up transformers, in that head amps tend to have a 'cleaner', leaner, more up-front sound with better defined leading edges, whereas SUTs generally have an 'airier', mellifluous, more expansive and fluid 'out of the box' presentation.
At the end of the day, you pays yer money and takes yer choice. However, it has to be said, IMO, that at £500 the Albarry will take some beating, as it gives a goodly dose of truly high-performance and a distinctly non-high end price. Highly recommended! :cool:
Marco.
Audioman
10-10-2012, 10:25
Hi Paul,
Sorry I've arrived at this late!
At the end of the day, you pays yer money and takes yer choice. However, it has to be said, IMO, that at £500 the Albarry will take some beating, as it gives a goodly dose of truly high-performance and a distinctly non-high end price. Highly recommended! :cool:
Marco.
Thanks Marco. First impression I had was this was a MC phono stage not a step up. So in fact it is a competitor for the Slee Elevator. Does have the advantage of offering different loadings over most SUT's so making it more universal in application. It would be interesting to hear Hi-Fi Dave's view on Albarry/Croft v Icon valve MC phono stages.
Paul.
Thanks Marco. First impression I had was this was a MC phono stage not a step up. So in fact it is a competitor for the Slee Elevator.
Yup, the Albarry is a battery-operated MC head amp, and yes, it's main competitor is the GS Elevator EXP, which I also rate and have used, although not for some time.
Marco.
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