Looking back to my late 90s home brewer article for Sound Practices issue 17, I noticed that a good number of components in my hifi system then are still serving two and a half decades later. The Tamura TKS83 moving coil step up transformer is one of them.
Overall, my ears still prefer the smaller and more affordable brother, the Altec 4722!
In the ensuing days, I did further evaluation and indeed, these Finemet MC transformers are doing something extra special. My only reservation was, in spite of the potted construction, the FM-MCT1s are more susceptible to hum induction compared to the Altecs and Tamuras. Even if John lined the wooden box heavily with copper shielding, I still had to keep them away from power transformers, AC motors, etc.
Inspired by the sonic niceties I heard, I was undeterred so I contacted Mr. Kimura of General Transformer Sales Co. Ltd. After a few emails aided by Google translate, I finalized my order.
Gtrans.co.jp is headquartered in the same location as the former Noguchi store we visited in 2015, which is in the basement of Tokyo Radio Department Store in Akihabara.
Kimura-san specified a 3-4 week window for delivery. So I downloaded the spec sheet, studied the schematic and ordered a cast aluminum project box from Amazon.
Within 18 days, the transformers were at my doorstep.👏
Finemet FM-MCT1 |
These are very well made and quite hefty! They're heavier than the TKS83s which, if memory serves me right, are about the same weight as the HM7s.
I chose a different layout for the 145mm x 121mm x 40 mm MC step up transformer chassis for neater routing of RCA cables.
Under the hood
The input and output RCA jacks are on the backside mounted on top of the chassis. Only the ground lug was mounted on the side.
No matter which cartridge I used - Denon DL103, -R, -C1, Fidelity Research FR1 MkII, Ortofon SPU #1s, -G, -GM, Supex SD900, etc. - male and female vocals + instruments are portrayed with 3-D presence and realism in a deep and wide sound space. The musicians are in my man cave!
Boosted by the Finemets, even the most analytical and dry-sounding MC cartridges in my stash, like the Goldbug Clement II and Sony XL44 came to life with more warmth. If that's a coloration, it's certainly most welcome!
Ever since I became an audio DIYer, I pride myself in not being impulsive about upgrading components in my hifi. This is a rare exception!😉
CODA
Stereo Sound Tube Kingdom Volume 104 |
If I got it right, in this survey of commercially available MC step up transformers, the Finemet FM-MCT1 was the only DIY unit.
Thank you for sharing, this is awesome (as always)! Can you post the diagram of how you wired everything with the two switches and inputs?
ReplyDeleteAnyone with moderate DIY experience should be able to figure out the wiring with the "under the hood" picture I added + the spec sheet.
DeleteJE