EMT JSD PURE BLACK CARTRIDGE AND STX-5/10 STEP-UP TRANSFORMER

Finally, there’s the STX/5-10 step-up. A good step-up ‘disappears’ and simply makes whatever cartridge and phono stage it sits between sound ‘better’; the phono stage sounds quieter as if it has less work to do, and the tonal balance of the cartridge ‘explains itself’ better in terms of frequency response and tonal balance (you find yourself saying “Oh, that’s what it was supposed to sound like!” a lot). Naturally, using an EMT step-up with an EMT cartridge is kind audio nepotism, but the two really do the ‘double act’ thing at the Fred and Ginger/Lennon and McCartney grade. Trying it with a Kuzma and a Hana cartridge, however, showed the step-up is really world class in its own right. Judging by either product – and especially by both together – EMT really deserves its place among the vinyl gods.

It’s not just that EMT has the kind of commanding reputation in LP replay that other companies would kill for. It’s not just that the company has a small, but intensely focused range of vinyl’s finest and has done so (albeit with a few cast changes) since 1940. It’s more that the Pure Black (especially when used with the STX/5-10 do so many things right, it’s hard not to be extremely impressed by their performance.