Do I need a sut?

Dear @folkfreak : No single problem with you or your system, I was only trying to help for its quality level performance be better if any.

You are rigth and my apologies to talk about in a public forum. I'm sorry for that, my fault because I took in count only what I was thinking with out take in count your legitimate side.

I know you are a decent, honest and mature human been and a true audiophile and music lover.   

Again very sorry to disturb you in that way.

Sincerely,
R.

Dear @folkfreak : With all my respect to you it's dificult for me to follow your " common sense " to achieve the best for analog. There is no doubt that you have the kind of money to do it but maybe not the rigth advisors to do it because you will add a VOSS phono stage that needs a SUT and al those  will be connected to the AR tube preamp.

You said: "  In a purist world I'd ...."". For me in a " purist world " ( and talking of analog cartridge signal. ) what my common sense dictates is to own the best direct and shorter path for the LOMC cartridge signal and that is: an active high gain integrated PHONOLINEPREAMP with no single cable/connectors/SUT in between and this kind of units exist.

Let me ask: do you really want to achieve the very best analog quality cartridge level signal to listen to? because the " road " you choosed,  and does not matters how many $$$$$ spend,  just can't  help you to achieve that " dream quality levels ".

Maybe I'm loosing something you know that I just don't know or understand.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Dear @folkfreak : Perhaps what has more influence in the cartridge signal degradation levels ( other than its limited bandwindth. ) with external SUTs are: additional cable/connectors and switchs like the ones in your unit.

R. 

That's why I mentioned them as experts. I think that not you or me know if inside that is the TX-103 that's a good SUT but: is it the best out there?.

There is something where the designers of the 103 coincide with what I posted here:

"   to maximize bandwidth ", this parameter is extremely important in a SUT and the 103 is not near the Denon or Technics one, even the T2000 makes it better.

I posted more than once in Agon that if I don't owned my active high gain SS Essential 3160 ( up-dated. ) I can live easily using my modified Denon SUT  as a fact time to time I use it.

R.

Dear @folkfreak : """   that will work and suit your price """

It's obvious that you have no single idea of the MC 2000 very high quality performance levels that even can/could outperfoms what you have with the right system.

I can't imagine ( but it can happens. ) that an audiophile can ( by ignorance. ) " destroy " the magnificent signal information coming from a 10K+ LOMC cartridge using a 700 dollars SUT where even exist  not something as essential and critical as its frequency response range ! ! !

How can you recomend it? it does not matters what  your SUT are developing in your system.  

Obviously something wrong down there that added those useless STs with the Q3s.

For me as I told @jdodmead  it's better to stay as he is than spend money in that way and in a company that are " experts " in transformers but can´t gives any single spec other than the ratio.  ? ? ? 

Yes, for you is not important but I'm talking about QUALITY LEVELS not on what " I like it ".

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Dear @jdodmead : Yes, it’s the best you can do for now because even with that noise level what you listen through the MC2000 is just very fine.

You own very good speakers that I listened many years ago, Unfortunatelly for that cartridge its sensitivity is a little low around: 88dbs.

""" That makes this cart really, really expensive. """, well things are that the cartridge is an expensive one when in those times was only one of two cartridges in the 1K price range.

Even with an active high gain SS phonolinepreamp something that you have to really care with this cartridge is that your TT and tonearm ( it self. ) stays perfectly grounded and very important is the cable between the tonearm and the phono stage not only the shieklding and cable quality level but its " orientation/route/directuion to the PS input connectors " that sometimes helps with that noise levels. I think you have to make some tests about and see what happens with.

Anyway, enjoy it !.

R.

@jdodmead : Btw, MC2000 has response from 5hz to 90khz and in laboratory measured over 100khz. Very special design and SUT must be at least at the same level.
 The best electronics for the MC2000 is an active high gain SS phonolinepreamp but are really expensive one of this high quality level/caliber.

R.

Dear @jdodmead : The T2000 made it expressely for the MC2000 goes from 8hz to 150khz ( -3db at 4hz. ) and weigths around 4k.

Ortofon was whom puts in the comercial market the first LOMC cartridge and certainly they knew exactly why that so very low output in the MC2000 and additional they knew how try to degrade the less the cartridge signal in those vintage times.

I own one of the best SUT ever that's the Denon AU-1000 that goes from 5hz to 200khz and weigths around 12 kg. Even today along the Technics exist no single SUT that can even its high quality performance levels. No, don't look to this Denon because has not the rigth gain for your MC2000.

That FR XG-5 was a FR entry level SUT in 1983 and weigths around 1 kg and certainly its frequenci range to limited but even the FR vintage top of the line in those years were an inferior SUTs design.

Always exist stupid people that knows nothing about and that talks only because they have a mouth but the audio world have people of all kind of knowledge/ignorance levels . 


Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Dear @jdodmead : Sorry to hear about those emails and you are not the first gentleman to tell me about. Sometimes my mail takes its own decissions ( always. ) and puts some mails in the non-desirable ones carpet that I never check out or I received ok. and did not answer what is not my usual attitude but could been my fault. Apologizes.

Again, try to have the best advise from the Herron designer it self and if he can't do anything additional of what you have then stay where you are till you have the money for the rigth SUT or a new phonolinepreamp.

I know very well that cartridge quality level performance and I know that even with high noise levels the quality performance is really fine and no one wants to perceive degradation on that well know high performance quality levels.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Dear @jdodmead : Don't pull the triger yet on that SUT. Gain and noise are only two SUT issues for you and that great MC 2000 you own. The FR XG-5 is and will makes atremendous /heavy degradation to the 2000 quality levelperformance. It's not the rigth SUT, it's a very low quality SUT.

Do it a favor and buy a different SUT because that is terribel.

Before you buy any SUT you have to look not only for the high gain the cartridge needs but the SUT frequency response that must be in the range: 10hz to 100khz at least and it has to stay flat and with very low noise/distortion levels. These are the SUT manufacturer specs.

If you can't afford the rigth spec SUT then stay away from low price SUTs. The T2000 was designed ( all silver wiring. ) expressely for the MC 2000 and the levels of noise depends not only in the SUT it self but if the additional IC cables has very god shielding or not and even the cable orientation in the system rack or if there are other electronics/active transformer around that induces noise.

If the Herron designer can help you in some ways for gain in that great cartridge then ask him directly before you make any choice. The MC 2000 deserves the best for it can shows it at its best.


Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.