Why are SUT's so pricey? And a few other thoughts

Is it the ol' supply and demand thing, or am I missing something here?
There sure does not look to be much to them, or am I missing something here too?
Is there some magical winding that makes them high $$$
Do they color the sound?
If MC phono stage is less then enthralling will a SUT into the MM input be an improvement (considering you like the sound of the MM phono stage)?
What gain does one need for a 0.4mv cart?
What price do you think is fair for someone who has elected to go LOMC?

Or is this another it ain't worth if it ain't a $2 Goodwill 'scroe'?
 
What price do you think is fair for someone who has elected to go LOMC?

Or is this another it ain't worth if it ain't a $2 Goodwill 'scroe'?
Not as much or more then the cart itself. Look at my post #3. Small box $5. a few RCA connectors $5 and a small board w/ components (price unknown). I would think those components are the pricey bits. I just wanted to know what makes those few components worth big bucks.
If you have a $50,000 table, $10,000+ cart then a $5000+ SUT may seem reasonable. That's great wish I was there.
Me $500 LOMC cart so 300-500 SUT.
But again I just wanted to know what makes those few components in a $500 SUT worth big bucks.
 
I just wanted to know what makes those few components worth big bucks.
Did you look at the Jensen price list? It takes two transformers for a stereo cartridge and shipping and someone to order, receive and stock the units. The manufacturers don't use 5 buck boxes and other cheap parts to make the good units. Everything that is a small niche market is marked up enough to hopefully keep the seller in business with all the overhead that entails. How can you expect someone to buy two 100 buck units, a pile of boxes wiring, switches, if needed, RCA jacks, packing materials and pay employees a living wage and try to sell the unit for the cost of the parts?
 
Options to use a LOMC cartridge

A SUT
A Phono Head Amp
A Stand alone RIAA Phono Stage that handles MC carts

A Stereo Preamp that has a built in MC & MM phono stage.
 
Did you look at the Jensen price list? It takes two transformers for a stereo cartridge and shipping and someone to order, receive and stock the units. The manufacturers don't use 5 buck boxes and other cheap parts to make the good units. Everything that is a small niche market is marked up enough to hopefully keep the seller in business with all the overhead that entails. How can you expect someone to buy two 100 buck units, a pile of boxes wiring, switches, if needed, RCA jacks, packing materials and pay employees a living wage and try to sell the unit for the cost of the parts?
Yes I saw the Jensen price list after I started this thread. It seems these transformers are very expensive to make compared to other transformers of equal size. Also it seems that they are not mass produced as other components therefor the price must be much more inflated.
 
Options to use a LOMC cartridge

A SUT
A Phono Head Amp
A Stand alone RIAA Phono Stage that handles MC carts

A Stereo Preamp that has a built in MC & MM phono stage.
I have a preamp with MC and MM inputs. The MM sounds good, I am not thrilled with the MC input.
I am currently using a SCHITS MANI. and while it sounds good we are all looking for something better.
 
I have a preamp with MC MM inputs. The MM sounds good, I am not thrilled with the MC input.
I am currently using a SCHITS MANI. and while it sounds good we are all looking for something better.

I though you got a Emotive or something like that.

The cart might not be right for the MC shit:p or the other way around. Do you not have another stereo preamp in the house with MC inputs?
 
Oh, and I am running 2 TT with MC carts and one MC input. So with my #1 TT I want the best sound I can get. #2 is for inferior records.
 
I though you got a Emotive or something like that.

The cart might not be right for the MC shit:p or the other way around. Do you not have another stereo preamp in the house with MC inputs?
I also have a SAE P102 that has both MC and MM inputs in another system that does not have ant TT hooked up to it. I have never tried the phono stages in that preamp.
 
Is it the ol' supply and demand thing, or am I missing something here?
There sure does not look to be much to them, or am I missing something here too?
Is there some magical winding that makes them high $$$
Do they color the sound?
If MC phono stage is less then enthralling will a SUT into the MM input be an improvement (considering you like the sound of the MM phono stage)?
What gain does one need for a 0.4mv cart?

Transformers of great quality which don't hum or add buzz, cost very good money. Small volume market= more expensive to make.
 
I recently went to the Valab LCR-1 due to its not needing a SUT. It's actually incredible value when you factor in the cost of a SUT though I think a little of the magic is lost without one. I may put a SUT back in the chain with this stage. There's a little magic in a good SUT
 
You can try the stages in these preamps by piggy backing
Turntabl/cart > phono input of another preamp> Preout, tape out> AUX of the SCHITS MANI
This is where my SAE is, it is pretty difficult to remove at the moment.

Right now TT #1 > Schits MANI > Aux input of preamp.
TT#2 > MC input of preamp.

What i would like TT #1 > SUT > preamp.
TT #2 > Schits MANI > Aux of preamp.
I am not 100% heart set on a SUT. Just leaning that way.
I am still open to other MC phono stages, just never gone the route of a SUT and would like to tip my toes in those waters.
 

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IME, every MC stage I tried a few years ago was beaten to varying degrees by an SUT into the unit's MM stage. Although I have not made the comparison with my Fosgate Signature, I did with a new Denon AU-300LC SUT (1:10, $188 from ebay seller buyfromjapan in 2010) into a Sutherland Ph3D, Jolida JD9, and Luxman L-505u, with a Denon DL-103 cartridge. Later I gave that SUT to my friend, along with the DL-103, which he has since worn out and replaced.

The Denon SUT made the Jolida sound LESS colored, to my impression in the limited listening time. My impression with the Sutherland and the Luxman was that there was little or no tonal change, but better dynamics - more life and bounce in the music with the SUT than the MC stage. With my Bob's Devices Cinemag 1131 (1:10, 1:20), that impression is magnified, and clarity is increased as well.

I've taken care to place my SUTs well away from any transformers or motors, and have had no (SUT-induced) hum or noise problems.
 
Most SUTs nowadays have 2 settings, high gain or low gain. And then there's something like this...
https://www.upscaleaudio.com/collec...esto-audio-andros-allasso-step-up-transformer
Allasso-glam-300-6-X-4-croped_1024x1024.jpg
Nice, but at 3K gulp!
 
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