Kondo’s first-in-the-world silver wired MC step-ups have long been received for their sound being quite natural. Today, over 20 years after the coming out of CDs, it is interesting to see increased numbers of analog disc listeners, who commonly wish and pursue higher grade of musicality.
The transformer load is the gentle bridge that allows the most complete signal energy transfer. Another reason this «gentle bridge» is so effective at reproducing small scale information is that a properly designed transformer provides an impedance match that minimizes reflections from the load side of the cartridge/gain interface. Voltage loss of a transformer is fundamentally ‘zero’ !
One of the most important aspects of MC transformer design is the selection of core materials. High permeability (i.e.: Superpermalloy/T-10) core materials are expensive and hard to make. Due to their extreme permeability, these exotic core materials make it very difficult to design quality transformers.
The designer must carefully balance wide bandwidth with a wide permeability ratio area. The shape or ‘aspect ratio’ of the core must be experimentally derived and the final results must be proven in listening tests under actual music conditions.
Our tests have shown that ‘E/I and L’ type cores generate local magnetic saturation due to their mechanical structure with joints.
The resonance or ‘beat’ of a core material must also be considered. Kondo has done much research on the resonant character of core materials and construction.
When forming cores, permeability decreases by 50-60% if hard press stamping is used. To regain permeability, hydrogen annealing must be used. Kondo uses more advanced forms of stamping, annealing, and finishing than any manufacturer in the world.
| Type | MC Step-Up Silver Transformer, KSL silver-wound |
| Input Impedance | 1, 3, 40 ohms |
| Output Impedance | 4K ohms |
| Output Cable | 1m KSL-Vz output cable with AN-P |
| Size | 145H x 115W x 190D mm |
| Weight | 3.2 kg |
