Koetsu
- Thread starter jadis
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SUT increases dynamic and treble and bass expansion at the expense of resolution. It depends on personal preference.
If you go for maximum resolution and details, don't use SUT. On the other hand, if you enjoy more live like performance, SUT can help.
I tried both ways, sometimes I like SUT but most of the time, I prefer without as HiFi is high fidelity, resolution is everything.
Tigereye Platinum and Carnelian Platinum into the Koetsu SUT and into Whest Titan Pro with 42db of Gain.
Merry Christmas Everybody!
Merry Christmas Everybody!
If your Step up limits resolution, you might have to try a better one. I like Koetsu carts connected to Phasemation T-2000 step up.
Merry Koetsu Christmas all!
I run the Jade/Vermillion into the EAR MC4 then into the 47k MM inputs on a Phasemation EA-550. The MC4 was a "practical" purchase (I also have a modded DL-103R and the Vermillion has a really really low output) and I am certainly "SUT-curious".
IMO the Vermillion sounds the best on the highest step up ratio (1:30) on the MC4, but am undecided re: the Jade into either the 1:24 or 1:18 - via the 1:24 the sound perhaps has a bit more "air", but at the expense of being a hint more fatiguing. The 1:18 sounds a shade more "closed in" but at the tradeoff of being less fatiguing.
Jade green is my favorite Koetsu color. Circa 2006.
I got my first stone body from you Phil and it was the Jade. I still love it and am saving it for a future set up. I know you sold a bunch but was wondering if those in these pics might be what ended up with me
And you're exactly spot on, Jack. That Jade went to you indeed, circa 2006.I got my first stone body from you Phil and it was the Jade. I still love it and am saving it for a future set up. I know you sold a bunch but was wondering if those in these pics might be what ended up with me
It was the only Jade I've ever imported and sold, and that one I recall having the word 'heavenly' in my mind after briefly listening to a couple of vocal albums, pictured above with a blue label is Carol Kidd's All M Tomorrows LP on the Linn/Aloi label, my all time favorite vocal reference.
Plus I grew up seeing a lot of jade earnings and necklace from my grandma, the Jade is truly beautiful.
As others said, a lot of the SUT choice comes down to personal preference and listening habits. I listen quite loud, and my Koetsu are (mostly) the 0.3mV Platinum variety. SUT with a tube MM is my clear choice here. I like to take advantage of the good overload margins of most tube mm stages, and push into higher SUT ratios that usually advised: 20x - 30x (6 mV - 9 mV hitting the MM stage). This yields an extremely dynamic, vivacious sound, with lowest noise floor and a very lifelike sense of fullness to the midrange.
I have an Onyx with samarium-cobalt magnets that has higher output, and its sound is more brash and dynamic than other Koetsus. Here I can see the case for a refined JFET MC stage to temper it a bit.
* Bob's Devices Sky - Big full sound. Brash and dynamic. Not as refined or clean as other top options, but a fun and beautiful sound. Feel like it "colors outside the lines" a little compared to the most refined SUTs. Sonic character is very much in the vein of a vintage tube amp. CineMag 1254 and 1131 are extremely similar but a little less "sweet" and refined. 1254 is a killer value for the money, and should IMO be the built-in of choice by phono stage manufacturers instead of Lundahls.
* CineMag 3440A Red - Ugh, don't even bother. Its time has passed and it should be allowed to die. Get anything other than this.
* Lundahl LL1931 / LL1931Ag - Very clean, crystalline tone. Lots of detail and speed, but too lean in midrange and bass. Not my preference. In fact, I think I like most JFET stages better than this. The Ag version was a big disappointment to me - it went even further in the direction I didn't want it to - and usually I'm a fan of silver wire in analog.
* Lundahl LL9206 - Good tonal balance; think I like it better than LL1931 here. Unfortunately the positives end there as it lags far behind other SUTs in detail & dynamics. A "safe" and affordable choice for a built-in SUT by phono stage manufacturers. It's better than CineMag 3440A at least!
* EAR MC-3 and MC-4 - My longtime references. Just fantastic sound all-around. No weaknesses. Matches beautifully to almost any cart. Different-but-equal to the Koetsu SUT for Koetsu Platinums. A little rich and lush sounding, but great overall balance. More refined than the Bob's Devices Sky.
* Koetsu SUT (last wood version) - My longtime reference with Koetsu Blue Lace (occasionally splitting time with the EAR). Surprisingly detailed SUT. LOTS of detail. A little extra treble energy than most SUTs, a touch bright, but does not suffer from the midrange thinness of Lundahl LL1931. It matches well with non-Koetsus if you can handle the brightness. Air Tight PC-7 made for an exhilarating match - so detailed and dynamic - but ultimately a little fatiguing. People say the new metal box Koetsu SUT is amazing...I have yet to try for myself.
* Quadratic MC-1 - Interesting SUT. Lots of bass output on this one, powerful sound, and it's really clean too. Very nice midrange, clean and detailed but not as tubey sounding here as other SUTs. More refined than Bobs / CineMags. A little recessed / relaxed up top. Requires careful cartridge & system matching, but amazing when you hit it right. I got some amazing sonics combined with the ARC Ref 3SE. The designer advised to raise VTA when I commended on the relaxed treble.
* Hashimoto HM-7 - A bit more neutral sounding than the CineMags and EARs. Good all-around SUT but personally I found it lacking some of the excitement I was seeking.
* Cotter Mk 2L - Still new to me. Very natural, beautiful midrange. Good overall sound. However, despite the legendary reputation, I just can't see this displacing the EAR or Koetsu SUTs as my favorites! Couldn't find specs on this unit, but it's definitely in the range of 24x - 30x. Pairing with VdH Colibri was interesting, because it tried to make this cartridge sound like a Koetsu (lol) and (very) partially succeeded - but the result ended up leaning more towards a "neutered VdH".
I've used a number of JFET stages. They are not usually my preferred approach but there have been times when they provided perfect synergy with cartridges (e.g. the samarium-cobalt Onyx). Generally they do not add the "fullness" to sound of a good SUT. Generally they have noticeable "hissss" noise floor - I know for sure when guys say their MC stage is dead quiet, they do not listen at my SPL levels!
* Sonic Frontiers Phono 1SE+. Not bad for the money. Slightly sweet sounding. GREAT match with my non-platinum Onyx. Falls apart on cartridges below 0.4mV, quickly losing dynamics and punch. Very quiet!
* Herron VTPH-2A - Very clean neutral sound. As quiet as you can get, for a JFET. Very well engineered. But it's not helped by the fact its partnered tube MM stage is ALSO very neutral, clean, and in fact slightly bright sounding. Where will I get my sweetness from?! Both stages are very good, but I'd rather pair one with a warmer partner, than keep them together. I like the Herron MM paired with EAR MC3 or 4.
* Audio Research Reference 3SE - Wow, the tube MM stage ("Low Gain" mode = MM) of this unit was simply stunning! The MC stage was good - but quite alike the Herron in performance and sonics. In fact, I think the Herron's MC stage was quieter. But the Herron's MM stage cannot match the ARC's!
* Hagerman Piccolo / Trumpet / etc - I really like Hagerman's JFETs. They won't fool you into thinking it's a SUT, but they seem a bit more musical and less sterile than other JFETs, somehow. The MC stage of my Hagerman Reference is a particular favorite. It's a little more vivacious and detailed than his other versions; shockingly good with certain cartridges (e.g. Van den Hul Colibri). I also have his older PI-10 standalone unit, that is warmer than most JFETs but also with higher noise - though I like it a lot too. Noise on the Hagermans is a little higher than the above.
I have an Onyx with samarium-cobalt magnets that has higher output, and its sound is more brash and dynamic than other Koetsus. Here I can see the case for a refined JFET MC stage to temper it a bit.
* Bob's Devices Sky - Big full sound. Brash and dynamic. Not as refined or clean as other top options, but a fun and beautiful sound. Feel like it "colors outside the lines" a little compared to the most refined SUTs. Sonic character is very much in the vein of a vintage tube amp. CineMag 1254 and 1131 are extremely similar but a little less "sweet" and refined. 1254 is a killer value for the money, and should IMO be the built-in of choice by phono stage manufacturers instead of Lundahls.
* CineMag 3440A Red - Ugh, don't even bother. Its time has passed and it should be allowed to die. Get anything other than this.
* Lundahl LL1931 / LL1931Ag - Very clean, crystalline tone. Lots of detail and speed, but too lean in midrange and bass. Not my preference. In fact, I think I like most JFET stages better than this. The Ag version was a big disappointment to me - it went even further in the direction I didn't want it to - and usually I'm a fan of silver wire in analog.
* Lundahl LL9206 - Good tonal balance; think I like it better than LL1931 here. Unfortunately the positives end there as it lags far behind other SUTs in detail & dynamics. A "safe" and affordable choice for a built-in SUT by phono stage manufacturers. It's better than CineMag 3440A at least!
* EAR MC-3 and MC-4 - My longtime references. Just fantastic sound all-around. No weaknesses. Matches beautifully to almost any cart. Different-but-equal to the Koetsu SUT for Koetsu Platinums. A little rich and lush sounding, but great overall balance. More refined than the Bob's Devices Sky.
* Koetsu SUT (last wood version) - My longtime reference with Koetsu Blue Lace (occasionally splitting time with the EAR). Surprisingly detailed SUT. LOTS of detail. A little extra treble energy than most SUTs, a touch bright, but does not suffer from the midrange thinness of Lundahl LL1931. It matches well with non-Koetsus if you can handle the brightness. Air Tight PC-7 made for an exhilarating match - so detailed and dynamic - but ultimately a little fatiguing. People say the new metal box Koetsu SUT is amazing...I have yet to try for myself.
* Quadratic MC-1 - Interesting SUT. Lots of bass output on this one, powerful sound, and it's really clean too. Very nice midrange, clean and detailed but not as tubey sounding here as other SUTs. More refined than Bobs / CineMags. A little recessed / relaxed up top. Requires careful cartridge & system matching, but amazing when you hit it right. I got some amazing sonics combined with the ARC Ref 3SE. The designer advised to raise VTA when I commended on the relaxed treble.
* Hashimoto HM-7 - A bit more neutral sounding than the CineMags and EARs. Good all-around SUT but personally I found it lacking some of the excitement I was seeking.
* Cotter Mk 2L - Still new to me. Very natural, beautiful midrange. Good overall sound. However, despite the legendary reputation, I just can't see this displacing the EAR or Koetsu SUTs as my favorites! Couldn't find specs on this unit, but it's definitely in the range of 24x - 30x. Pairing with VdH Colibri was interesting, because it tried to make this cartridge sound like a Koetsu (lol) and (very) partially succeeded - but the result ended up leaning more towards a "neutered VdH".
I've used a number of JFET stages. They are not usually my preferred approach but there have been times when they provided perfect synergy with cartridges (e.g. the samarium-cobalt Onyx). Generally they do not add the "fullness" to sound of a good SUT. Generally they have noticeable "hissss" noise floor - I know for sure when guys say their MC stage is dead quiet, they do not listen at my SPL levels!
* Sonic Frontiers Phono 1SE+. Not bad for the money. Slightly sweet sounding. GREAT match with my non-platinum Onyx. Falls apart on cartridges below 0.4mV, quickly losing dynamics and punch. Very quiet!
* Herron VTPH-2A - Very clean neutral sound. As quiet as you can get, for a JFET. Very well engineered. But it's not helped by the fact its partnered tube MM stage is ALSO very neutral, clean, and in fact slightly bright sounding. Where will I get my sweetness from?! Both stages are very good, but I'd rather pair one with a warmer partner, than keep them together. I like the Herron MM paired with EAR MC3 or 4.
* Audio Research Reference 3SE - Wow, the tube MM stage ("Low Gain" mode = MM) of this unit was simply stunning! The MC stage was good - but quite alike the Herron in performance and sonics. In fact, I think the Herron's MC stage was quieter. But the Herron's MM stage cannot match the ARC's!
* Hagerman Piccolo / Trumpet / etc - I really like Hagerman's JFETs. They won't fool you into thinking it's a SUT, but they seem a bit more musical and less sterile than other JFETs, somehow. The MC stage of my Hagerman Reference is a particular favorite. It's a little more vivacious and detailed than his other versions; shockingly good with certain cartridges (e.g. Van den Hul Colibri). I also have his older PI-10 standalone unit, that is warmer than most JFETs but also with higher noise - though I like it a lot too. Noise on the Hagermans is a little higher than the above.
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