Deco Audio Products STEP Standard 20 Step Up Transformer

The STEP Standard 20 is a high performance MC step up transformer, suitable for most low to medium output MC cartridges.

Our experience is that a step up transformer is needed to get the best performance from an MC cartridge, offering better sound quality than an active stage. There are a myriad of benefits, there's galvanic isolation, inductive loading, plus very low distortion and noise. They're the closest to a 'free lunch' in the world of hi-fi as we ever get! Once you've heard a good step up transformer then it's difficult to go back to an active design!

The transformers used in the STEP Standard 20 are designed and wound to our specification following extensive auditioning and a long R&D process. We are very proud of the results that they produce regardless of the very low price point we have been able to offer them for.

The transformers are encased in mu metal screened cans, are connected with high quality copper wiring (as found in our Standard tier interconnect) and housed in non ferrous casework for best sound quality. The STEP Standard 20 is ideal for interfacing between most MC (Moving Coil) cartridges and your MM (Moving Magnet) phono input.

With a ratio of 1:20 the STEP Standard 20 will provide a substantial boost in level helping to reduce signal to noise in your phono setup and present an optimal load for almost all cartridges to work into.

When loaded with the standard 47k Ohm input impedance of the average MM phono stage, the Step Standard will load the cartridge with approximately 100 Ohms, this easy load will suit most MC cartridges and provide a very healthy amount of gain, helping to keep noise to a minimum. Please note that the way step up transformers load a cartridge it is our experience that 'matching' it to the cartridge is much less critical than on an active design, so whilst there's no universal product we do feel this will suit the majority of designs very well.

Please note a step up transformer is a passive interface that goes between a low to medium output MC (Moving Coil) cartridge and an MM (Moving Magnet) phono input, its job is to increase the voltage and provide ideal conditions to get the best from an MC cartridge, it does not include any RIAA equalisation and has to be used in conjunction with an MM phono stage.

As the STEP is quite light and compact, users with stiff/heavy cables may want to consider adding a weight on top of the enclosure to stop it moving.

Due to our bulk buying and in house assembly we have been able to price the Step Standard at an exceptionally low price for the performance on offer, despite them still being assembled by hand in workshop in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.