Live! MC-10 MC Cartridge Step-Up Transformer by Sound Tradition After the arrival of the PrimaLuna EVO 100 tube phono stage I’m letting go of the MC-10, a reference of mine for many years. From Dick Olsher’s 2009 Enjoy the Music review: “The Live! MC-10 features the Hashimoto HM-3 MC step-up transformer. Havent heard of Hashimoto? Well, forget Tamura and Tango, the Hashimoto brand in my estimation is “best of breed.” Hashimoto Electric Co., Ltd, embodies some 60 years of transformer design and manufacturing experience. Mr. Takao Ishiguro, who is currently a technical advisor for Hashimoto due to his semi-retirement, has been the heart and soul of the Hashimoto transformer line for the past 30 years.” “An astounding sonic bargain! The Live! MC-10 is a perfect illustration of the maxim that money cant buy you sonic happiness. You could spend thousands more and not come close to the MC-10s inherent musicality. It can hold its own even in the company of ultra high-end analog gear. Warning: youll most likely be unable to resist its siren call. For the record, I have certifiably fallen in love with its superlative sound quality. Highly recommended!” From the Sound Tradition website: The HM-3 is a simply amazing step-up transformer for MC cartridges. We are not quite sure if its appropriate to mention the HM-3 on this Web site because this step-up transformer can be a treasure not only for tube amps, but also for any audio systems that equips with a MM phono stage. The basic idea of the MC transformers is to amplify the MC cartridge output signal to the acceptable voltage level for MM phono equalizers through a transformer - without an active amplifier. With the HM-3, the sound image becomes very wide and deep with three dimensional representation. The low sound is very tight and the high frequency is crisp clear. In essence, the vinyl sound through the HM-3 is the closest to the real live music. There are so many different MC cartridges in the market with wide variety of internal impedance and output levels. The HM-3 is specifically designed for those MC cartridges whose internal impedance is between 2 and 40 Ohms with the gain of either 26 or 32 dB (x20 or x40 amplification). Typical examples of MC cartridges that work well with the HM-3 include Denon DL-103 and various Ortofon MC cartridges. Users Guide (excerpts) Congratulations on your purchase of the Live! MC-10 MC Cartridge Step-Up Transformer. The Live! MC-10 builds on the Hashimoto HM-3 MC Step-Up transformers which yield very realistic sound with excellent frequency response. The purpose of the Live! MC-10 is to boost very low MC cartridge signal, such as 0.2mV, by 20 or 40 times so that the output level of the Live! MC-10 becomes high enough for a standard MM phono equalizer without introducing active amplification. The Live! MC-10 is equipped with two 2-way impedance switches (one switch per each channel) to allow the most suitable setting for almost all MC cartridges in the market. The low impedance setting is at 3 Ohms which accommodates MC cartridges whose internal impedance is between 2 and 7 Ohm. The high impedance setting is at 12 Ohm which accommodates MC cartridges whose internal impedance is between 7 and 40 Ohms. With the 47 kOhm loading impedance of your MM phono equalizer, low impedance cartridge signal can be amplified by 40 times (32dB gain) and high impedance cartridge signal can be amplified by 20 times (26dB gain). Note: The actual amplification ratio will depend on the cartridge’s internal impedance and phono equalizer’s loading impedance. You can place your Live! MC-10, after your turntable and before MM cartridge phono equalizer or pre/integrated amplifier with a MM cartridge input. The connections are made using two input RCA jacks (left and right channels) and two output RCA jacks (left and right Channels). Besides the interconnecting RCA cables, a grounding wire from the turntable and another grounding wire from the amplifier must be connected to the grounding post on the Live! MC-10. Specifications Type: Transformer-based step-up device MC Cartridge Loading and Gain: 3-Ohm setting (2 -7 Ohm, 32 dB) 12-Ohm setting (7 - 40 Ohm, 26 dB) Recommended Phono Stage Load Impedance: 47 kOhm Dimensions: 162 x 158 x 112 (WxLxH in mm) Weight: 4 lbs. Price: $990 (in 2009)The step-up transformer will be well packed for shipment. Feel free to ask questions. Thanks for looking.