"HELP" tired Koetsu

I understand that the ARC Ref Phono uses the Jensen transformers in it. I admit that my experience with transformers in the past were tainted and most likley loading related. Thanks for giving me some better info to digest. It is opening my eyes a bit. It is easy to come to the wrong conclusion at times with this stuff. I know people do it all the time with speakers and electronics.

The Jensen transformers are pretty good, and are sometimes included in some of the better phono stages to provide the MC input stage.

I think that the transformer should be located as close to the tonearm as possible, to boost the signal at the earliest possible point, so the information losses from these very low level signals traveling along the wire is minimized.

Twl, where can one get raw Jensen transformers? It can't be very hard to build something. All you need are some RCA's, a case, and the transformers, Right?

When you mention Euro cartridges, I assume you are refering to the ClearAudio and Van Den Hul stuff? Do you put Benz in this same group? You seem to like some Ortofon units. A friend just got a Kontrapunkt b he seems to like. Don't get me wrong, there seems to be proponents of all sorts of sounds out there that I don't understand. A great deal of the speakers I hear fall into that group. There seems to be a trend to what I feel are overly bright speakers now, I guess that has been going on for some time. Perhaps this is the same trend that you are pointing to in the Euro cartridge arena. Detail at the expense of all else? I like detail, I just don't want it shoved at me and force fed to me. I think the same may be going on with cables as well.

Here's a link to the Jensen transformer page with all the criteria for selecting the right one.

http://www.jensen-transformers.com/mc.html

Yes I'm talking about VDH and Clearaudio mainly. Benz has a couple of carts that are ok, like the LO-.4, and the Glider at a lower price point. Mostly all Euro stuff is overpriced and has a zippy high end. Also too clinical, and lacking life.

And yes, it is happening with cables and stuff too. There seems to be a marketing trend that is going for impressive high end detail that is unnatural and tiresome. The same goes for alot of speakers.

The Ortofons that I like tend to be the older ones or the ones derived from those older models. I still like the Jap cartridges better, though.

And Clearaudio and VDH are ridiculous. The Shelter 501 will beat the VDH $5k Black Beauty, and I don't like any of the Clearaudios.

So when we realize that this is happening with the products, it becomes harder to find the musical stuff, and we really have to work hard to find it. It is almost never put in front of our noses, because all the magazines and dealers are showing us some German engineer in a white lab coat, with his spec chart saying," Alles is Gut!" Then they want us to pay $5k for this Teutonic spec chart wonder, that is about as lifeless as a dead carp laying on the dock.

So that's why nearly all my audio equipment is considered "wierd" or is totally unknown to most people. I have to go out of the mainstream to get what I want. There are still manufacturers out there who know what musical sound is, but they are getting fewer. And everyone is being sold a new case of "audiophile fever" every month.

Think about it. If you sell them something that will satisfy them, they won't be looking to upgrade next month. If you sell them something that is initially impressive, and will drive them out of the room after a month, they will be in the market again looking to upgrade. More sales.

I remember hearing once that McDonalds purposely put uncomfortable seats in their dining rooms, so people would just eat and get out, to make room for more customers.

This has become an industry that is putting money ahead of everything else. It is up to us to spend the time and effort to find the products that make sense for us. This is why I keep talking about this stuff that I've found that works good. Somebody has to do this.

Twl,thanks for the Jensen site info. Those are a real possibility. The transformers are small,look easy to do something with, and only $104 each. Good info to have on hand.