best tonearm for Kondo IO-J cart.

Hi Raul,

well I ment the Kondo-KSL-SFZ as the Audio-Note AN-S2
is quite different then the KSL (Kondo-Silver-Line)
as the othe AN is copper.
I have right now both in my system the KSL stepup transformer is much better than the AN.
Raul you should try to hear the KONDO-KSL stuff
it is really amazing.

regard Karl-Heinz

Well, one of my audiophile friends uses his Kondo IO (Latest Generation) with the brand new Kondo KSL step up and he prefers this combination much more than without the KSL. His main Phono unit is the Boulder Phono. I think, taste may be different, but the latest KSL is really a good sounding one, or let>'s say, there is much worse out there ...
Btw. IO is normally in use with Kuzma Air Line.

there is no question that the IO-J sounds better 99% of the time with the kondo step up than without. the reason i put up this post was to see if my arm was right for my io-j . i use a simon yorke (table & arm),& my friend was just over to check the resonant frequency to see if they match & it was perfect. my bass was a bit shy compared to my CD player & i was worried but of course more bass is not always TRUE bass.
thanks for your input.

Dear Karl/Thomas: To let me try understand your statements that with the AN step up transformer everything is better I would like to ask you something:

all we know that in audio and in the same quality circumstances " less is more ", I believe in this sentence and I hope you do too. Less signal process/filters/stages means ( no question about ) a better quality sound reproduction: for we can use any external step up transformer ( like you Karl with the Klyne preamp ) we need ( at least ) two additional steps/filters that make a degradation to the signal: RCA/XLR connectors ( four of them ) and 0.5m-1.0m of cable to connect at the preamp, right?, please tell me how the step up transformer could improve a degraded signal when the best that any audio device ( almost impossible ) can do is " not degrade the signal " and never ever improve it with the original?

There are other subjects that tell us why we never will try to use step up transformers with phono cartridges that I already explain in other threads.
One of our targets is to preserve the signal integrity and the step up transformers always help to collapse it.

Both of you have great audio systems but in my humble opinion the use of step up transformers is the wrong road to follow.

Now, if you or your friends heard a better quality sound with the setp up transformers that could mean that you have severe problems around your analog chain.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Diamonddude18: I think that your Simon Yorke tonearm is up to the task, it is a medium effective mass tonearm.

Now, if you don't have any tracking problem and if you are satisfied with the tonal balance ( top to bottom ): bass, mid bass, mid range, highs, focus, detail, transparency, attacks, soundstage, pitc, etc, etc, then you have no worried about.

It is difficult to say which tonearm is best for a cartridge till you try it with several tonearms and find which really is the best: overall, because there is nothing perfect and almost always there are trade offs that we have to choice according our priorities.
The only way to know which of these tonearms or any other: Yorke, Ikeda, Airline, Phantom, Micro Seiki, etc etc, is the best match for the IO in your audio system and for your music sound priorities is trying each one in your audio system.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.