During my six-month review period with three outstanding Step-Up Transformers (SUTs), including choosing my new reference model, shooting a video, umpteen social media posts and hundreds of hours of listening, Warren Lavender of Audioarcan reached out to see if I wanted to try Graham Slee’s answer to a SUT, the Elevator EXP - MC Step-up Amplifier (USD 1095 incl. Graham Slee’s PSU1 Enigma Power Supply). Thank you, Warren for shipping the small, light unit and the associated hefty power supply to the island for review.

It’s interesting to note that the Elevator is an MC Step-Up “Amplifier”, with no transformer onboard. Graham Slee goes to extravagant lengths in the EXP’s manual as to why his amplified version of a Step-Up is a better solution than a transformer.

The highlights of Slee’s amplifier v transformer critique are :

For a start, the Elevator EXP doesn't hum. Transformers do. To be correct, the transformer itself doesn't hum, but the magnetic surrounding fields easily get induced into it.

These magnetic fields are predominantly mains-borne. There are several hum sources including all your mains-powered equipment, surrounding mains-powered products, and even the wiring you see, and the house wiring you don't see - all emitting magnetic fields by differing amounts. The SUT, being a transformer, is influenced by them all. The result is hum.

Low bass frequencies to a transformer move so slow that they're “almost DC'“. As a result, transformers distort most of all at low frequencies.

All sorts of tricks and adjustments are employed to reduce this distortion - many include using expensive metals and labour-intensive winding techniques to overcome the bass distortion. This is why good SUTs are so costly. [Well, that’s true—Ed]

The electronics of the Elevator EXP however, don't cause anywhere near such levels of distortion, so all the bass details - the layering and the timbre (the characteristic sound of an instrument or voice) are there to be heard and enjoyed.

Other criticisms include “excitation current” and “uneven frequency” response. If you’re swimming against the transformer tide with your amplified Step-Up you’d be singing your product’s praises, too. Hey, a sale is a sale. However, I did not experience any of the Slee critiques and anomalies on the three expensive SUTs I had for review.

My Use

The Elevator EXP is a small, very well-made metal box with the same simple setup as transformer SUTs except for the added external power supply. The unit had zero hours and Lavender suggested at least 20 hours to break in. I complied.

The same reasoning for a Step-Up of either topology, transformer or amplifier, is the same. To amplify a low-output moving coil cartridge level to that of a moving magnet output. The Elevator added 22 dB of gain to the moving magnet input of my Phasemation EA-350 Phono Amplifier, bringing the MC level to a respectable 60 dB of gain. Just about right for my tastes.

I hooked up the EXP to my vinyl reference system. Happy feelings all around.

Specifications

Input range: 0.15mV to 0.8mV

Output: (for input range) 2mV to 10mV, suitable for a moving magnet phono stage input

Maximum input: 378mV rms (a very large overload margin)

Maximum output: 4.914V rms

Gain: 22dB (13) < 10Hz to 917kHz (-3dB points)

Input impedance: 23, 30, 100, 840, 1000, 5100 and 47000 Ohms

Output (driving/source) impedance: 300 Ohm

Recommended load impedance: 47k Ohms phono stage preamp input

Noise at output: -99dB CCIR Q-pk

Distortion: 0.02%

Frequency response: < 10Hz to 917kHz (-3dB points)

Channel balance: 0.2dB

Channel separation: 64dB

Size: W: 107 x H: 50 x D: 180 (mm)

Sound

There were a lot of bold claims in the Graham Slee manual sheet so I threw the Elevator in the deep end. My choices would help both break-in and hear if the small box could handle the widest range of dynamics. Timbral exercises would come later.

Reference Recordings’ Arnold Overtures with the composer conducting the London Philharmonic. One of, if not, the greatest recording by Prof. Keith Johnson. An all-analog beauty recorded in Watford Town Hall.

The fireworks begin on Side 1 with The Smoke (a euphemism for London), typical of Arnold throwing the kitchen sink at the orchestra. It has 3 crescendos for full orchestra and a battery of percussion that makes an overwhelming sound (watch your volume the first time through if you buy this LP). Even the opening with some hefty thwacks on the bass drum held no fears for the small box. I was surprised at how easily the Elevator handled the wide dynamic range, especially the aforementioned massive crescendos. Very impressive.

The great Arnold Overtures record served the audition process well, at least in macro dynamics. Microdynamics were another torture test, this time with the record that convinced me of the benefits of a transformer SUT. Here is the paragraph from the winning SUT review in my reference search:

So I began the same as the MC4 audition, with the fleet, delightful “Queen Mab” Scherzo from Berlioz’s 1839 masterpiece Roméo et Juliette. Beguiling delicacy and that sprinkling of magic fairy dust I mention in the EAR review, but with even more sweetness and transparency. This was surprising and occurred after several hours of playtime. The improvement over the EAR MC4 in percent? Quantifying this stuff is tough. But I’d guess the EAR improved my Phasemation EA-350 by 5% and the IKEDA by 10%. These are big numbers when you think in audiophile terms. I was very impressed and moved by the IKEDA’s performance. Fairy dust, plus!

This 1962 Boston Symphony RCA Soria gem highlights playing of exceptional delicacy in the “Scherzo” (muted strings and Berlioz's incredibly proficient orchestration—he wrote the book on it) with Munch’s typical super-fast tempos. No fear for the BSO but a supreme challenge for anything in the analog chain. These wonderful records (a 2-record set), this movement in particular, highlighted the strength and differences of the three SUTs in question. Could the Elevator, with its different topology and much cheaper price, match all three transformer-based products (at 3, 4 and 5 times the price) in speed, timbral beauty and transparency?

It gave a good account of itself, but no.

The sparkle and shine through a beautiful translucence was not there from the Slee. Yes, it captured the fleet BSO articulation and the ringing ppp bells, but all the very fine dust eluded its topology and design. That’s no shame when the ultimate in this playback, the IKEDA IST-201, is five times the price. Expectations.

Loading is set with the two front switches (up, centre, and down detents). Not confusing as long as you don’t lose the instruction sheet (make copies)! I set mine to the Phasmemation PP-2000’s favoured 100-ohm setting (left toggle down, right toggle centre). Same setting for the Pure Fidelity Stratos MC Cartridge.

My audition period was with the Phasemation PP-2000 MC Phono Cartridge, but I also tried the Elevator with the Pure Fidelity Stratos MC Phono Cartridge (USD 1995). It was a fine match, especially with the EXP’s adjustable loading on its front plate. The macro-dynamics were once again splendid, the micro-dynamics slightly less so, but the depth of soundstage and superb imaging of the 4 times the price Phasemation cartridge could not be beaten by the fine Stratos. With the Elevator at USD 1095, I think careful matching of cartridges is important to wring the best out of this excellent device. Some questions for the distributor, I’d guess.

When playback was not so demanding as diaphanous strings whizzing around and massive orchestral dynamics, the Elevator had a much easier time showing off its considerable attributes—rock and jazz instruments and vocal timbral flavours, spacing on chamber music (string quartets) and a general balance in the sound. So the differentiated bass line on the opening of “One of These Days” on Pink Floyd’s Meddle sounded exactly as it should, dynamic but with different bass sounds from each speaker (you can Google why). And the wonderful instruments and vocals from Bernie Grundman's remastering of Steely Dan’s Aja were superb on the Graham Slee. As long as it’s not too complicated an orchestration or soundstage, the Elevator hikes up the playback level. And I expect on a cheaper phono stage, it’ll be a top choice product with this topology.

Summary

For USD 1095, Graham Slee delivers a box that can up your entry-level phono game considerably. As prices and design acumen go higher, I’m not sure what the Elevator brings to the party. But for a good phono, the Elevator will bypass its MC section, drop the noise floor, and amplify with fine sound for a good price. I have not heard sub $1000 SUTs, so I’ll take Slee at his word re transformer hum and all the other nasties. As such, the Elevator would be a good match for those audiophiles who have tried the inexpensive transformer route but want the added functionality and upgrade in sound a good Step-Up can achieve. To this end, the Elevator gets a warm recommendation from me.

Further information: Graham Slee