genesis168 wrote:

I am a owner of an ET SU-1 and would like to know what phono stage would go best with it. Would a Lamm LP2 be a good match?Will be using a Dynavector XV1s with it. Thanks in advance

I owned two SU-1 transformers and one SU-2. The SU-2 is different then SU-1; it is a toroidal version of SU-1. The SU-2 takes the SU-1 benefits slightly further but still it remains within the same Expressive Technologies’ family sound: dramatically increase dynamic, extend lower bass, very magically slow down lower mid-range and upperbass decay, uniquely “recompile” the entire Sound making all individual sound and notes as a part of “whole” instead of individual events. I evenly sold both of my SU-1 and left only with one SU-2, SU-2 has slight sonic advantages and it is MUCH smaller. Hey, do you know how I was selling one of my SU-1? Read the story:

http://www.goodsoundclub.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2329

With all my use of SU-1 and SU-2 I did not detects that they have any special attitude to special cartridges.  I used Shelters, Koetsu, few Denons, few Ortofons all of them were fine with ET transformers. They were the cartridges with different own impedance and with different output voltage – all of them were benefited by the “Expressivinization”. The lower of then was Denon with 0.12mV output and the highest was 3mV Ortofon SPU. I even liked what ET did with 5mV moving-iron Grado, and I disregarded all capacitance loading issues. Of course in all those cases you need to properly load each cartridge in accordance to own demands: ETs are 26dB fain, so multiply the loading resistor to 676 and go from there. I am sure your Dynavector XV1 should be very fine as well.

With phonostages is more complicated. I do not have a lot of exposure, at least successful exposure, to different phonocorrectors with ET transformers. When I got my very first SU-1 I had regular 834P and I liked the result tremendously. Since then I use only ET transformers with my reference arm and I some time to time (in past, not anymore) was looking for different better phonostages. I was all together perhaps 5-6 “expensive” phonostages and with not of them I was not able to get what I was able to hear from 834P, at that time it was already 2x834PT. The ET-2x834PT is a truly poltergeist-transparent combination and I always feel that get out of it some musical ghost presents that I never got form other correctors. It has to be said that I use in second stage some kind of 12AX7 aberration with mutual conductance much more then usual 12AX7. Soon I  will be converting the ET and 2x834PT into one atomic unit:

http://www.goodsoundclub.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?postID=5856#5856

I also had LP2, I have to admit the I hate that phonostage. The LP2 own step up transformer makes LP2 to sound like a cheap SS transistor radio. The MM input of LP2 is slightly better but still is not so good. I have writhe about my disappointment with LP2 in many places:

http://www.GoodSoundClub.com/TreeItem.aspx?PostID=385

 When I drove LP2’s MM input with SU-1 I had even worth result then with LP2’s default transformer. I have no deal why. I got rich the bogus 470pF shunt the Lamm has at LP2’s MM input stage, it helped little. I head perhaps 6-7 LP2s and everywhere I head the same flat washy-washy sound that I did not like. Perhaps you mileage will wary but for me the LP2 was very unsuccessful phonocorrectors.

It would be very interesting to try the Expressive Technologies own phonostage... I saw it and it was interesting...

Your Pass at it’s MM input should have adjustable capacitate. Drive it all the way down – the ER does not want to see any capacitance and for MC cartridge it is not necessary. I know what you mean but that “SU1 sound you cannot
describe” – it is like it takes Sound and reconstructs it, gluing notes and  regions in a new, absolutely unique order – it was exactly why I got hooked on ET transformers and I doubt that you found another piece of magnetic that would be able to do it.

You might look for EAR834 but I do not see why you need it.  If you get the result that you appreciate from you ET and Rotel Michi RHQ-10 then why do you peruse anything else? Did you indentify any specific sonic problems with your ET-Rotel combination that forced to look for a different phonostage?

I understand that you are new at this site and therefore you might familiarize yourself with following:

http://www.goodsoundclub.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=432