Dynavector XV1-S and step-up


Is there a step up that works particularly well with the Dynavector XV1-S cartridge. The arm is a Graham Phantom and the pre-amp is a Shindo Masetto. I have no complaints going straight in to the Masettos MC input, but thought there might be a suitable step up to try out.

Cheers and thanks
hatari
You need to know the phono gain of the Shindo preamp and the total gain needed for the Dynavector. The difference between those two numbers (in db) will tell you what you need in terms of the SUT. Then select the best quality SUT that affords you the needed gain when interposed between the Dyna and the preamp. The turns ratio of the SUT will also determine the value of the load resistor needed.
Lewm, my technical understanding is cursory, but here are the details available:

Shindo MM input: Pnono MM(RCA Pin Jack ) Input Sensitivity/Impedance:3mV/47KΩ.

Dynavector: recommended load resistance of > 30 ohms; output voltage 0.3mV (at 1KHz, 5cm/sec.);

Do these details at all get us to difference in gain. Pardon my complete ignorance.

Cheers
So you need to step up the voltage by a factor of 10 (from .3mV to 3mV). You can select a SUT with that information. The reflected impedance is related to the square of the turns ratio. With a 10:1 transformer, the impedance seen by the cartridge will be equal to 47K divided by 100, or 470 ohms. Some might say this is a little high for the Dynavector. For best results, you would replace the 47K load resistors with 10K load resistors, so the Dyna would see 100 ohms (10,000 divided by 100). Or,if you don't want to remove the 47Ks, you can calculate the value of the parallel resistance needed to reduce the net resistance to 10K, if you want the Dyna to see 100 ohms. I get 12.7K ohms as the value of that resistance.
In my opinion, gain is not the most important issue in choose the right step-up; the difference in gain of a 1:10 (20dB) to a 1:20 (26dB) step-up are really not that big. 6dB is easily compensated by the volume control. Also, it really depends on what gain your line stage has, some have 6dB, some 10dB some as high as 23dB. Gain is important but it is not the central issues in selecting the right step-up.

When selecting step-ups I would rather focus on the correct loading - The XV-1 has an internal impedance of 6 Ohm and Dynavector recommends 30 Ohm loading which is about right. A 1:20 step-up achieves a reflected loading of 117 Ohm. With a 22 KOhm additional resistor on the secondary (i.e. 15KOhm total loading) you get 37 Ohm. Certainly in the same transformer with more taps, I most often preferred the tap that gives the right loading without using extra resistors, irrespective of gain.

Finally different step-up are designed with different secondary load impedance in mind, loading a 1:10 at 10 KOhm may not necessarily ideal. Instead loading on the primary (i.e. before the step-up) may be preferred. To make a long story short, a 1:10 may work or not and so may a 1:20. The best result is in trying.
Also, does anyone have any practical experience with different step-ups for the XV-1?
Restock, I take no issue with what you say. I was trying to keep the response as bone simple as possible. Your experience with SUTs is obviously more extensive than mine, especially since my hands-on experience is zero. BTW, I think the OP said that the recommended load is >30 ohms, not 30 ohms. Most would use about 100 ohms, which is why I wrote what I wrote. Carry on.
Thanks guys - appreciate all this. Have to read the posts at least 2-3 times, but am starting to get it. Good education.
In my experience, the Dynavector XV-1s cartridge performs best at a loading somewhere between 100 - 150 Ohms. As Lewm indicated, the 30 Ohm loading specified by the manufacturer is intended to be a bottom-end limit and is not intended to indicate the optimal resistive load for the cartridge.

IME, the XV-1s begins to sound dark and lifeless when the input impedance is dropped below 100 Ohms.
Thanks. Oddly enough, the MC input on my Shindo is:

Phono MC(RCA Pin Jack ) Input Sensitivity/Impedance:0.2mV/2 -100Ω.

Perhaps I should stop fiddling and just use the internal MC step up? I am curious to experiment with it though.

Cincy_bob: any thoughts on a worthwhile avenue to explore in terms of SUTs? Looks like the A23 Hommage, Kondo KSL (both very expensive), EAR MC4 (highly adjustable it seems, and more "reasonable").
Hatari, sorry but I don't really have any experience implementing external SUTs in my own audio systems. The guys who posted above are probably in a better position to comment on the technical aspects and compatibility of those specific SUTs you are exploring.
Hatari, By all means, if your Shindo already has a built-in MC section utilizing an internal SUT, you should go ahead and use it. The SUT was obviously selected and designed into the circuit for the most seamless possible match. It is unlikely that you can do any better, or even as well, with an external SUT connected thru your MM input. Don't make this stuff harder and more expensive than it already needs to be. Sheesh.
Hi Cincy_bob, here we go again...
It seems the perpetual misunderstanding when looking into SUTs, that the 'normal' recommended (experienced) best cart loading into a MC phono-pre (non-SUT) is incorrectly considered with SUTs i.e. 100 -150ohm as you suggest.
This is completely off the wall when using an SUT.

If you care to look-up e.g. Lyra's spec. sheets you will see what I mean. Their recommended values for SUT is about 1/10!
My experience, hands-on, tells me 6ohm x 2.5 = ~ 15ohm! is a good point to start and as I said, about a 1/10 of what you are suggesting.

Also, what Restock mentioned is much more where it's at, also when it comes to impedance matching.

Lewm, what you overlook is the voltage drop going through any SUT. It is not just 0.3 x factor 10 = 3mV and most certainly not when you decide to do some resistive loading to go from 470ohm to say ~ 15ohm.

I think the 1:20 suggestion of Restock looks like it, and then it be better to consider primary loading not to hog the secondary side with too big a resistor i.e. > 22k

My 2cents worth. There are some sites that explain the maths and I'm not going to do it again.

Greetings,
Lewm: yes, original post talked about the MC a little, so thought I'd framed it properly - looking to optimize, not reinvent. Question is whether it's optimized for the Dynavector, hence the discussion and desire to see whether an SUT into the MM (this pre has both) might be interesting. Thanks for your input. I have a few paths to explore based on this post and some constructive private thoughts.
Axel, I accept what you are saying about the differences in optimal input impedance when using an SUT as good technical background. I gather the manufacturer's specified 30 Ohm minimum loading is intended to apply to a normal MC gain stage and not an SUT and that optimal SUT loading may well be a value substantially lower than 30 Ohms.

There's no need to act so exasperated or put upon in communicating your technical advice. If it's that much bother, perhaps you should just return to listening to music and let the rest of us wallow in our ill-informed state.
Dear Hatari: IMHO you own a very good analog rig with that Raven/Phantom/XV-1s combination along your Sarastro IIs.

IMHO too, before to think in an external step-up that always makes a cartridge signal degradation and that ( with all respect ) does not make sense to me on your audio system maybe is time to think in a way better quality performance phono stage that can do justice to that top front end.

Through your Masseto there is no single opportunity that you can hear what the XV-1s can show when it is mated with a phono stage at the same quality level that the Dyna cartridge.

If I was you and if I want to improve the analog quality performance of that audio system my very first step will be to " disappear "/change that " poor " phono stage that IMHO is at very lower level than the rest of the other system links.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.
Raul, thanks (I think). Just for fun, what phono stages are at the higher level to allow me to improve my "poor" phono in the Masetto. I'm honestly dying to know, as I'm very impressed with this phono. Perhaps it's a typo but you say "IMHO too" - no one else on the forum has suggested similar... Let's say the bogey is $5k - what do you suggest?

Look forward to hearing your specific thoughts.

Regards
Hatari, You are hearing the opinions of two very knowledgable persons (Axel and Raul), who have their own private biases based on their own past experiences. There are lots of equally knowledgable vinyl fans who would disagree with Axel on loading with a SUT and with Raul who just does not like SUTs. I tend to agree with Raul, but you should form your own opinion, and one way to start is by listening to the preamp you already own.
Hi Cincy_bob
I accept your critique, I guess my words where less then what some lines had called:".... and the patience of a teacher" (What song was that again?)
You see in the recent past I'd spend A LOT of time with this issue in numerous threads - so yes, I was sounding a bit exasperated, please accept my apology.
A.
Lewm: thanks for the context. Just to clarify, I've been listening to my pre-amp for 2 years, so know it well. I just haven't explored SUTs (or external phonos, as the integrated phono is part of the attractiveness of the Shindo).

Will listen to a few SUTs and clearly form my own opinion. Having said that, I enjoy getting educated, and confused and appreciate the effort of all who post.

Cheers
Dear Hatari: Poor was not the right word. Let me explain in some other way:

you say that you are looking for an external SUT where I think will be a degradation ( even if the SUT is a " perfect " design. ) to the cartridge signal because that signal has to pass for additional stages: additional connectors and additional cables. IMHO these additional stages along the non-perfect SUT the only job that can do is to degrade that cartridge signal: it can't improve it in anyway, more signal process means more distortions/degradations.

In the other side your Masseto is full of transformers: internal SUTs for MC signal process and output transformers that in both cases put a distortion-signature to the cartridge signal.
I know that you like what you have but I think that you have a near " Ferrari " ( analog front end ) driving with " bycycle tires ", this is only an opinion where yours is the most important one.

Looking to your Masseto I think that you could do a little better with the MM alternative, at least an alternative easy to try and an inexpensive one.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.
Raul, I know you have a lot of experience with analog, but I'll have to disagree
with your posts on the Shindo. I know you have an existing aversion against
step-ups, but it would be wrong to judge the Shindo implementation without
first hearing it.

I have heard many solid state, tube+SUT, and hybrid (tube MM+SS MC)
phonostages over the past months and would say that the Shindo + SUT
certainly in the top of all the phono amps I heard. For example, my Pass
XOno does not reach the level of detail, extension, and natural tone that my
Shindo Monbrison + external SUT provides. The Shindo is at a completely
different level in terms of capturing fine nuances and detail in my experience.

It took a while though to find a step-up that works well with my Allaerts
MC1B and your opinion is certainly true for many of the step-ups I tried. I
have heard really bad tube + SUT phonostages (even at the $5k level, and I
heard equally bad solid state amps). There are excellent ones on both sides
though.

Of course, I am sure there are even better solid state phono stages than the
XOno but then there are even higher end Shindo preamps too. I certainly
haven't heard the level of detail with solid state that I heard with Shindo so
far.

Of course I have heard not nearly as many different cartridges and tables as
you have, but I have certainly heard good implementations and designs on
both sides, tube+SUT and solid-state.

With best regards,

Rene
Dear Rene: I understand your point of view through your experiences where certainly the XOno is not a good example for the top quality performance level that you and me are accustom for.

I don't have an " aversion " on SUTs, as a fact I try several SUTs through the time including the " old " Shindo ones but when you have the opportunity to mate in your system a very top quality design phonolinepreamp with no SUTs against any other with SUTs then you can understand what I'm talking about.
IMHO I think that you like many other people ( Japanese people between them. ) never had that opportunity but there are people that already heard and try on that kind of top quality design units and I can tell you that no one of them can/could return to SUTs: evolution is the name of the game, if we don't " evolution ": well we " die ", IMHO sooner or latter we need to WALK ahead with the right " focus ".

I don't compart/share the whole audio attitude to stay almost in the same " land/place " going deep in that " hole " with no hope to improve/evolution, with no hope to be better but only a little different!

I respect to all kind of personal audio attitude but mine is a little different from other ones, at least in that audio evolution subject.

I don't want to start a polemic about SUTs ( like Axel posted:tired to read in several threads about. ) it is almost futile.

Rene, if you own a Ferrari what do you want to do about? switch the engine ( in your garage ) to only hear that marvelous motor sound? or switch the engine and driving ( move ) that Ferrari enjoy the Ferrari unique whole experience?.
Not many people own a Ferrari and certainly they want to " discover " the whole " Ferrari experience " and not only the static engine sound.

The Japanese people die for the SUT's ( like several other people. ), they like its distortions but that does not means is the best way to go with LOMC cartridges, there are other alternatives that IMHO are better.

Anyway, my advise to Hatari is that he try an alternative, either: MM or a differnt phonolinepreamp or both.

I think/assume that he wants to achieve not only a different quality performance but a better one and the Masseto is an " obstacle " to do it.

Maybe some of you think that because the Masseto is over 10K must be a great unit, well it is not at least for LOMC cartridge task.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.
Raul, Have you heard a Masseto or other similar Shindo phono preamp driven by a LOMC? If so, was it on your own system where you are used to the baseline sound? I am asking just out of curiosity, because you are speaking with a great deal of conviction that suggests you have done the homework.
Dear Lew: Shindo is well know to produce and design audio items based on vintage parts: tubes, caps, resistors, pots, etc, etc. For this people time never pass, no evolution at all and like Koetsu cartridges Shindo through the years " floats " in an image almost " religious " ( ???? ). This kind of " halo " is what many Japanese people likes ( it does not matters how is its sound. ), even its design are around a specific audio units like in the Masseto that was voiced with the SPU cartridge.

I owned the Shindo 101 ( and heard twice different units. The Shindo is like Koetsu: you heard one and you know everything on that sound audio item company. ) that is almost the same today other units because the Shindo philosophy is to be " impertubable " through the years to come. So I know what I'm talking about.

What I can't understand ( or maybe I can??? ) is what are you trying to find on me with your questions?, I know that you are not and advocate to SUTs or at least your phonolinepreamp does not comes with SUTs, so: what is all about?
I think that ( with all respect, I appreciate you. ) instead to following question me will be a lot better that you give your advise to help Hatari, don't you think?

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.
Dear Raul, If you re-read my previous post, I think you will see where I said that I do agree with you on SUTs. But your remarks about the Shindo preamps were not as diplomatic as is typical of you, so I just thought you might have some direct experience with this unit or similar ones that led you to be so firm in your rather negative statements. If you did have such direct experience, it would lend a great deal of credence to your views, and it would satisfy my own abiding curiosity regarding Shindo et al. Because I have never heard any of that stuff, and I do value your opinion highly, as do others. No offense was intended.

By the way, now that I am beginning to hear what other cartridges have to offer in my own system, I remain a big fan of my Koetsu Urushi. So we will have to agree to disagree on that item. But I have more listening to do of course; I am nowhere near as experienced as you.
The Shindo 101- from 1979-ish and it was simply a repackaged Triad HS101. Not a Shindo design but pretty good sounding- I have one sitting here on my shelf. But since when do details and facts matter on a forum. We can just piss on lifetimes worth of hard work in the name of self righteousness. The great news is the writing is here to stay and the foolishness and narrow mindedness shines through for all to see. Long live the transformer.
If I may, let's move on from the Shindo discussions. For the record, I love my Shindo gear - it's something special. I appreciate the input thus far, but don't want to get off track.

Now, back to the question on SUTs and Dynavector XV1-S...

Right now, I am tempted to try one SUT in particular, but also think that perhaps I'll just leave it alone and buy a ton of new records..:)

Cheers
Hi Hatari,

Do you tap your feet when you sit and listen to your Masseto? Do you smile?

If so you've made a good choice. I'm jealous of your preamp.

To say that the Shindo is a weak link in your gear is ridiculous.

Mike
Dear Mike: Every audio system has its own weak link, maybe I'm wrong but in your opinion which is the Hatari audio system weak link on analog performance?: the Rave, the Phantom, the XV-1s, the Sarastro, the Shindo amplifiers: whic one?.

Could you share your opinion on the subject? and if you can please explain why is " ridiculous " the Masseto weak link in that " environment ".

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.
Dear Lew: No problem.
About the Koetsu sound signature the Urushi is a little different from the " normal " Koetsu and I'm with you on it.

Regards and enjoy the music,
raul.
Dear Vinyljh: +++++ " Long live the transformer. " +++++

long live!!!!!!

regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.
Hatari,

I recommend to you the Bent Audio Mu to use with what I hear is a wonderful phono in your Shindo. It is without a doubt the finest step up in my experience. This includes the copper version. I feel the cooper version is better than anything I have tried and I have tried many. Unbelievably, the silver version is a significant improvement over the copper.

I have own two XV-1s. I disagree with some of the opinions above. I have owned many of the top of line phonostages available today and all of them were improved upon by setting the phono stage to its lowest gain setting and introducing the Bent Silver Mu in front. IMHO there is no better way to control a MC cartridge then with a step up transformer. Also phonostages with out step ups that offer different load settings have always, in my experience, been a bit of a joke. Its as if either, the mc cartridge does not recognize the change in load or the phonostage isnt executing the change of load properly. In fact I have never seen a mc cartridge respond to load changes with out a Step up, like they do with a Step up. Period.

For example a phonostage with the option to switch from say 1000, 500, 200, 100 ohms and there is very little difference between 1000 and 100! Its ridiculous. If you place a resistor in my Bent Audio Silver mu's using the Stevens and Billington T-103 trannys you will notice a significant difference in cartridge performance. If you change the load by 10 ohms you will receive a response from the moving coil.

This is a copy and paste from another gentleman who pretty much nails it on the head with regards to moving coils and step up transformers.

In spite of the huge amount of gain possible with modern MC phonostages,
typically 1000 to 1800+ times amplification, the MC cartridge is a poor
voltage source to drive these amplifiers. Furthermore the low resonance
frequency of a MC causes them to have a rising frequency response
beginning well below 20KHz which gives them, all else considered, a
sharp, spitty and unpleasant treble. This is in turn damped with a low
input impedance which creates an even further problem for the weakly
output MC cartridge.
A matching step-up transformer solves all these problems.
The transformer "transforms" the MC from a voltage source to a current
source, the transformer steps up the voltage relieving the MC from this
task. As a current source the transformer presents the MC with an
impedance at or near (ideally) the impedance of the MC which naturally
damps the rising top end without creating a electro-mechanical damper as
in the case of the low impedance input of the direct drive amp, i.e.
without the transformer.

And the voltage amplification of 5 to 20 times makes for a much quieter
operation and vastly better signal to noise ratio than is possible in
the "direct drive" configuration.

Lastly, again all else being the same, the phonostage will usually use
less feedback and generally sound better with a lower gain than higher
gain.

I must agree, in my experience there is nothing better and I haven’t read one argument to convince me otherwise and I have read them all. Most of all, my experience tells me otherwise.

One must realize that transformers can be a very transparent device. Now with nickel and amorphous cores, silver wound and so forth, trannys are becoming down right nasty. I have heard some transformer based passive pre’s that are lovely! I don’t know if you ever experimented with amps. I tried many OTL amplifiers and none were as good as an amp with very good iron, like the vintage Acro TO 330, Tribute, Slagle, Tengo, Tamura, Electraprint, Audionote, lundahl, Sowter, magnequest, There is a lot of good transformer companies out there and all are striving for results beyond reproach. The Stevens and billington tx-103 transformer is, in my experience, is one of the most transparent devices in all of audio. By all means try a step up transformer with your XV-1s.

I have seen many people with lots of experience say, step up trannies are no good, this and that and that and this, and now they use step up trannies or own phonostages with them built in.

Rudolffzigray,
10/10 as far as my own experience goes and "another gentleman who pretty much nails it on the head"

I actually think that the "issues" arising in getting a proper impedance match has given SUTs a bit of a bad name(not mentioned by the other gentleman).

Also, as you pointed out, using an SUT shows up HUGHLY different loadings. It can sound absolutely impossible with e.g. 47ohm and really GREAT with 10ohm loading (as example with a 30dB unit).

Also there is the possibility of phono-pre overloading if wrongly matched. Some example scenarios I put see in: http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1248136396

Greetings,
Axel, In order to avoid confusing a novice, I would take issue only with the language you used in the post you referenced above. You wrote:

"Step 2: Find out the 'natural impedance' of the trannie.
Ratio^2 * phono-pre input impedance
e.g. 31.6 * 31.6 * 47k ohm = 47 ohm for a 30dB trannie
(this will be what the cart sees if you do not use secondary or primary loading of the trannie)"

47 ohms (or 47K ohms divided by ~1000, the approx square of the turns ratio of the transformer you described) is about what the cartridge "sees" as a load if there is a 47K ohm resistor across the secondaries of the SUT, i.e., on the preamp input side. A transformer, any transformer, has no "natural impedance" per se. Transformers merely reflect impedances from primary to secondary or vice-versa.

As to the rest of this argument, I would love to hear a very high quality SUT in my own system in order to make up my own mind as to their wonderfulness. I am keeping an open mind, but in principle there are about as many possible problems with a SUT amplifying the voltage output of a very LOMC as there are with an active gain stage. The problems are just different.
Hi Lewm,
y.s.:
>>> A transformer, any transformer, has no "natural impedance" per se. Transformers merely reflect impedances from primary to secondary or vice-versa. <<<

Sir, yes Sir! B U T, I did explain how 'natural impedance' comes about --- inverted commas and all.
Also 99% of phono-pres ARE using a de-facto impedance standard of 47k, hardly ever 50k, etc.

The calculation aught to make it clear that the 'natural impedance' of a 30dB trannie will be 50ohm for a 50k ohm input impedance or 100 ohm for a....

>>> ...in principle there are about as many possible problems with a SUT amplifying the voltage output of a very LOMC as there are with an active gain stage. <<<

The problems ARE different since some more insight is required with an SUT, which is often disregarded. Loading any MC 'straight' (no SUT) is pretty much 'dead easy', often by turn of a button.

As to the results, I dare say they are VERY much different, but this does not imply that you have to LIKE it. Raul's 'ear-equalization' comes to mind immediately.
Greetings,
PS: FM_Login (Roman Bessnow, alias 'Romy the Cat') swears by his trannie. This might be a MAJOR recommendation, or an equally major turn-off - depending where you stand with this expert source.
Axel, Sorry for being pedantic. I have to agree that a lot of folks who do use SUTs do not seem to take into account the matching of the SUT to both the cartridge and to the preamp. This is why I urged Hatari to first of all listen to his built-in SUT in his Shindo preamp, because that is undoubtedly set up properly to match the input stage. I dislike comparative testing of SUTs that we see in published articles, where a guy interposes several different SUTs between the cartridge and preamp, without regard for any special measures that might optimize frequency response, etc. The author then makes spurious judgements regarding which SUT sounds best. The Jensen transformer website has a couple of excellent "white papers" (I have no idea why we use that term in the US) on SUT electronics, from which one can learn a lot about this subject.
Lewm: I have been listening to my internal phono for 2yrs... just FYI, b/c it seems some are thinking I just got it. I've been listening extensively for some time, and it sounds pretty damn good. Just trying to optimize/explore further. The key question is matching to the Dynavector which may have not been the focus of the designer of the phono stage in the Masseto.

My head is spinning, but I hopefully have a few options to try and listen to at home in the near future, will keep you posted.
Hi Lewm,
y.s.:
>>I dislike comparative testing of SUTs that we see in published articles, where a guy interposes several different SUTs between the cartridge and preamp, without regard for any special measures that might optimize frequency response, etc<<

Very true and I couldn't agree more -- unless the author had really made sure about the impedance matching, and never mentioned it? Actually hard to believe.
I agree that THOSE tests therefore be rather misleading.
Greetings,

PS: Note, there is a TYPO in the other thread: http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1248136396&openflup&1&4#1
Step 2: XXXX ... "31.6 * 31.6 * 47k ohm = 47 ohm"... XXXXX

it must read:!!!! "47k ohm / 31.6 * 31.6 = 47ohm" !!!!
Very sorry for that!
Hatari, I had begun to figure out that you have indeed been listening to the Shindo MC input. I did not understand that way back when this thread started. What are you hearing that suggests the MC phono input is not optimally matched to the Dynavector? That cartridge is typical of the whole class of LOMCs in terms of its internal impedance, output voltage, compliance, etc, so it is unlikely to present any special problems to a phono stage, other than its low output. You might also consider the tonearm in this equation. Matching of cartridge to tonearm is a critical factor.
Lewm,
I suggest that Shindo and EAR might be different - B U T it is a known that there are better trannies than used simply for cost, inside some EARs. This MIGHT just be true to some degree with Shindo?
It could be settled by trying another external SUT, and as I understand it, is the OP's intension.
Greetings,
I just did a little quick research on the Masseto. For $11,500 it ought to have a pretty good SUT inside. But I know it is on the low to middle end of the Shindo line of preamps, in terms of cost.
Lewm: Again, I'm actually very happy with the Shindo phono (its right in the middle of the range). I only posted to see if an SUT would make me happier. Don't mean to repeat myself but I'm just exploring. I may try SUTs and phonos and it all ends up with "the Masseto is better". So, I decided to explore a bit and posted. Didn't mean to create an uproar, and the fact that I asked the question doesn't mean the preamp isnt working or isn't good.

Axelwahl: you got it, hoping to try the A23 Hommage and others
Hatari, I think you stimulated an interesting discussion, not an uproar. I learned something from it. There is an interesting piece by Art Dudley that appeared in Stereophile within the past few years, wherein he actually compares the built-in SUT in the Masseto to several other outboard SUTs, in his own system. You might want to Google it.
Lewm: thanks, yes saw it. Very interesting, seems like he liked a few better (A23 Hommage and the AN, I believe), but found it to be great with the Miyabi (which is .3mv, 2ohms). Dynavector is .35mv, 6ohms. Sounds pretty close to me.
Hatari, in the meantime you have a nice A23 Hommage T1. Did you ever try the Hommage with the Dynavector XV-1s.
I am very interested, as i had an EAR MC3 and a A23 SPU tranny for my Shindo Meursault/Shindo SPU as well as for my Dynavector XV-1s. Both cartridges made a very nice combination with both trannies, so now i am looking for a Hommage T1, too. Three friends of mine have this transformer, but until now i haven´t heared it in my system.
I use the Allnic AUT 2000(now renamed) with the XV-1s mono and it works great.