A couple of things I enjoyed about Bob Sattin's demo:
1. His little step-up transformers are even more adorable than I'd realized, enhanced now with black powder coated chassis and a refined, laser-etched logo. The little boxes remind me of vintage analog effects pedals. Too cool.
2. Sattin was using an old Yamaha PX2 linear tracking turntable (awesome), along with a Jasmine Serenade Mini Tube amplifier and Shanling PH300 headphone amplifier, and Sennheiser HD600 headphones—"Just whatever I could bring," said Bob—a system with personality and soul, and one which made sweet music. The sound of music played through a Koetsu Rosewood Signature phono cartridge and Sattin's Sowter 1:20 step-up transformer was invitingly smooth, rich, fleshy, and detailed.

... not spending more time with. I'm interested in both a new cart and preamp and/or step-up and he had fun stuff right there to play with. Nice guy, too.

The thing is, I have a strong aversion to taking up someone's time when I know I can't make a purchase in a reasonably soon timeframe. I know Bob wouldn't have necessarily minded; it's all part of the gig. And so I would have felt worse actually, having taken the opportunity to listen. Ain't I a mess?