I am in nowhere man's land with you. When it comes to SUT's, the often used BLACK ART phrase is pretty accurate. There are some who delve a bit deeper in to specs and matching... Dave Slagle and Bob Sattin come to mind. The A23 units are also an option. They make a (not new but) newer unit that is specifically for TSD-15 or Tsd-75. It sits below the Homage, yet above the basic units. The Silvercore is a nice unit... I had one for a while, along with a Hashimoto HM-7, and a few of the A23 units. While I like the A23 a lot, the Bob's and the Slagle do dig in to specs a bit more, and can open your door of options a bit wider. Of course with the TSD-15, that is one of the few proven options with the (high impedance) A23 units. If it were me, I would not want to reinvent the wheel unless I had a demo, which of course Bob offers. I hate to say it but the EAR MC-4 may be another interesting option. (-:
Seeking advice on several specific MC Step Up Transformers
Hello,
I am looking to change my MC Step Up Transformer (SUT) and am hoping some folks may have had some experience with one or more of these combinations...
I currently use a Silvercore 1:10 SUT. It is hooked up to my Garrard 301 turntable, Thomas Schick 12” tonearm and EMT TSD 15 cartridge. The SUT then runs into a Cary Audio PH-302 MkII Phono Preamp>Supratek Chardonnay Line Preamp>a pair of Decware SE84UFO2 monoblock power amps>Altec Flamenco Speakers.
I previously had a Parasound Halo JC3+ phono preamp in this chain, but, found that the Silvercore SUT was overloading it and causing significant noisefloor. Once I upgraded to the Cary phono pre (with a much higher overload capacity), the noisefloor disappeared. And, yes, on both the Parasound and the Cary I have tested just using the MC input but much prefer the overall sound/impact/dynamics that I get by running the SUT into the MM input.
Through several conversations with two differnt SUT manufacturers I have learned that due to the EMT’s output of 1mV and the higher overload capacity of the Cary pre, an SUT of 1:20 is more ideal.
So, after that long-winded explanation, I am wondering if anyone has used the Decware ZMC1 SUT and/or the Bob’s Device’s Sky 20 SUT.
The Decware is a 1:20, but, has the added capability of adjustable gain. Which, as I understand, can be nice for adjusting the impedance on the fly as some records may sound a little brighter than others. The Bob’s Devices is switchable between 1:10 and 1:20. The Decware is also about $400 cheaper (which is a major consideration currently).
Hoping someone may be able to shed some light on any of this...
Thanks,
Jared
I am looking to change my MC Step Up Transformer (SUT) and am hoping some folks may have had some experience with one or more of these combinations...
I currently use a Silvercore 1:10 SUT. It is hooked up to my Garrard 301 turntable, Thomas Schick 12” tonearm and EMT TSD 15 cartridge. The SUT then runs into a Cary Audio PH-302 MkII Phono Preamp>Supratek Chardonnay Line Preamp>a pair of Decware SE84UFO2 monoblock power amps>Altec Flamenco Speakers.
I previously had a Parasound Halo JC3+ phono preamp in this chain, but, found that the Silvercore SUT was overloading it and causing significant noisefloor. Once I upgraded to the Cary phono pre (with a much higher overload capacity), the noisefloor disappeared. And, yes, on both the Parasound and the Cary I have tested just using the MC input but much prefer the overall sound/impact/dynamics that I get by running the SUT into the MM input.
Through several conversations with two differnt SUT manufacturers I have learned that due to the EMT’s output of 1mV and the higher overload capacity of the Cary pre, an SUT of 1:20 is more ideal.
So, after that long-winded explanation, I am wondering if anyone has used the Decware ZMC1 SUT and/or the Bob’s Device’s Sky 20 SUT.
The Decware is a 1:20, but, has the added capability of adjustable gain. Which, as I understand, can be nice for adjusting the impedance on the fly as some records may sound a little brighter than others. The Bob’s Devices is switchable between 1:10 and 1:20. The Decware is also about $400 cheaper (which is a major consideration currently).
Hoping someone may be able to shed some light on any of this...
Thanks,
Jared