Best MC step up transformer

John_Tracy, do you any idea when the Venice will be ready for market? It's been in the works a long time.

I have a Bob's Devices 1131 CineMag SUT. This is a brilliant SUT and sells for roughly 1200.00 Check out Bob's website. Art Dudley loves this device and has compared it against the best out there. I can't say enough about its build and sound quality. Best of luck.

Transformer Design is based on perfection and knowledge, based on that , their differences are huge. Some of the better ones are made from Cotter, Fidelity Research and Jensen.
Most out there do change the sound (color), it can be depressing to work with them, I had also the ones from Koetsu, EAR ... really everything but neutral. Good luck. The Kondo SFz is indeed one of the better ones, but the pricing is "special" :-)
You can try to find a technician who replaces your Jensen with those from Jensen's best (no Manufacturer offers top quality here, why should they cut their profit...)..or you buy a better cartridge :-)

I have the Bob's Devices flagship SUT... It's $1200 and results have been dramatic! See my review posted here (link below).

If you're on a budget then the Hagerman Piccolo is hard to bear, but it's not a transformer. It's a head amp using op-amps to boost the signal.

Have you seen Dave Slagle's transformers? Very nice. Custom wound to match your cartridge.