ikeda mc-transformer

This is for John Tracy: I´m living in this planet. Maybe you don´t know wich is the difference between an outboard stepup transformer and a built-in phono stage. First, you can use the outboard stepup transformer only
if your preamp has a builtin phonostage ( RIIA equalization ). Can you understand this ? If you do, then you can see that if you use another stage ( step up transformer, conectors and extra-cables ), you really degraded the signal: this signal has to pass over many meters of wire inside the transformer, has to go trought additional RCA/XLR conectors and interconect cables. When you already have the built-in phono stage your signal goes more direct. This is not a complex science is only comun sense.
Best regards.
Raul.

Forget your common sense BS and try opening your ears. Step ups are way better than active gain stages by a wide margin. Cartridges love transformers inductive load.

Dear Eduard: I forgot. The owner of Ikeda Labs is the former of Fidelity Research. A great companyRegards.
Raul.

To vinyldoes. Dear friend: We are talking of two different issues. You are talking about: that you likes more the colored sound of a step up transformer ( noise, distortion, phase shift, contamination, additional conecctors/cables, etc ) and if this is the way in what your " open ears " likes this is up to you.
I'm talking about the best quality sound reproduction of the music. Any additional stage in the signal chain reproduction ( it does not matter the quality of that stage ) degraded the quality reproduction of this signal. Period.
By the way, my " closed ears " has an experience of more than 40 years with live music.
Regards.
Raul.

Excuse me Raul, but any system requires a certain amount of gain between cartridge and power amp, or between cartridge and line stage if you have one. The question is how is that gain best achieved? If you don't have a transformer you must have additional voltage gain. Extra components, longer signal path, more wiring, etc. You are spouting the 'simplicity' dogma without considering that your supposedly simpler solution suffers from the same problems in different guises.

There are indeed some very fine, indeed world class, high gain phono stages out there. Aesthetix, Boulder, Manley, etc. Unfortunately implementing them at a high level is difficult. Not many of us can afford to play at that level. If you can, with your 18 tonearm, good for you. Enjoy!

Fortunately there are also some very fine, world class stepups out there. Combining one of those with a top quality MM phono stage (which is MUCH easier to build than an equally quiet and linear high gain stage) is a more than viable option. In the large majority of cases it may even be the superior choice.

The best MC cartridges are very bad at putting out high voltage. Just look at their specs. To hook one up to a voltage-driven gain stage is like asking a car to fly. You may be able to do it, but it will cost you a lot of green. But an MC cartridge is very good at generating current. Voila! Why not load the cartridge to optimize what it's natively good at, then transform the excess current to the voltage we need? Properly implemented this maximizes the performance of the cartridge. Even if there are tradeoffs, the benefits can balance the potential detriments. There are no one-way streets in audio, and pure voltage gain is no exception.