Good points. I would only take issue with the implication that using ICs between an outboard SUT and a suitable MM stage is no different, in terms only of the potential effect of the connecting wires, than having a built-in SUT or a voltage gain stage before the MM circuit. The external SUT not only requires much longer wires, making it susceptible to RFI and/or the effects of wire capacitance, but it also requires connectors, usually RCA type, at both ends of the ICs. Connectors are a major source of coloration, in my opinion, where low level phono signals are concerned. This is a point in favor of built-in SUTs, if one must use a SUT.
Is a SUT needed?
I have a Dynavector DRT XV 1s going into an Aesthetix Rhea Signature. The sound is great, but I do have to increase the volume due to the low output of the cart, which can produce a high noise floor, when listening to quieter passages. Do you think a Dynavector SUT 200 would be a good match? Any suggestions?