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Audio Note SUTs - Are they worth the money ?

Folks,
I am switching to an all Audio Note system. The preamp and phono stage is M6 phono and power amps are a pair of Conquest Silver Signature monoblocks. I need an SUT for the MC stage to be fed to the M6 phono preamp (it has only MM stage internally). The prices of the Audio Note SUTs have perplexed me a bit. Even an S3 costs a bomb (about $3.5k) for an SUT. Then there is S4, S5 and S8 too. I am not going to use an Audio Note cartridge but rather an AT ART-9. They have a version which matches my cart but I just do not know if the prices are justifiable. Has anybody tried any Audio Note SUTs ? Do they really do anything special to command that kind of prices over other good SUTs around  which are generally quite a bit cheaper ?
pani
ahendler
416 posts
 
It has been a while but when I had my Myabi cartridge I had an Audio Note SUT and it was outstanding. However I never tried anything else. Also I don't remember which SUT it was but I think it was there cheapest.
Audio Note stuff is typically very good but expensive
Alan
ebm
9,311 posts
 
Oh its good to be a high roller enjoy!!Im sure its a great unit.

nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 
There are many myths in our hobby and SUT's are no exception.
larryi
3,718 posts
 

I have heard a number of systems with Audio Note SUT, including my own, and they are very good.  Given that you have an all Audio Note set up for electronics, it might be worth the price premium to stick with their transformers. 

The thing is, there are plenty of quite good transformers on the market, and most of them will sound pretty good, if not quite the same as the Audio Notes.  Almost any decent transformer matched to the particular cartridge and gain requirements of the system will sound nice.  I sort of agree with Art Dudley of Stereophile who said that even when the step-up transformer is not a perfect match, it will usually sound good; he said that he has never found a step-up transformer he didn't like.

lewm
12,458 posts
 
With the ART9, you don't need much additional voltage gain from the SUT in order to drive an MM phono stage, maybe 10X would be overkill, in fact. So, if you're interested in doing this in a scientific and cost-effective manner, so far as that is possible, you might try some of the well regarded but less expensive SUTs before spending the big bucks on an Audio Note.  However, if cost is no object, there is no doubt that the AN SUTs are "very good".  You can't go wrong, as they say. I don't know why you would need reassurance from any of us on that score.

I personally think everything they make is "very good" and overpriced.

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