Preamp for audio research ref110

For short term, IMO it's not reasonable to invest into Jensen Transformer. spending extra $200-ish, it's wiser to sell SP9 and get fully balanced preamp. There are active balanced converters sold by major pro-audio internet retailers along with B&H photovideo and J&R stores of Manhattan for much lower price point, but even that can wait till you get REAL stuff...

BAT VK3i normally with no phono, but VK installs phono-board there for $500 and it will be HUGE step above SP9.

Sell the SP-9 MK II.  You could get at least $800.

The Sp-9 MK II is from around 1990.

Buy a more modern preamp with balanced, or both single ended and balanced outputs.

I called ARC and they said RCA to XLR converters would not work, for the reasons almarg mentions, above.

Thank you all for the help. I think I will get an RCA to xlr converter until I get the real thing. Seems like these are available from pro-audio shops. 

Regarding the cart, I am using a simple shure m97xe

I think I will get an RCA to xlr converter until I get the real thing. Seems like these are available from pro-audio shops.

Given the previous comments by Docknow (thanks!) and myself, I assume you are referring to an active converter, i.e., one that contains powered circuitry. If so, a point to keep in mind is that like many and probably most ARC line stages and preamps the input impedance of the device to which the SP9 MkII is connected should be relatively high. From its description at www.arcdb.ws:

Recommended load 60K ohms and 100pF. (20K ohms minimum)

A lot of pro audio equipment will not meet that requirement, not even the 20K minimum.

A transformer-based converter, by the way, such as the Jensen I referred to earlier, will easily meet that requirement when used in conjunction with your particular power amp, and when used with many and probably most other amps as well.

Regards,
-- Al