HM7

About the HM7

The Hashimoto HM-7 is a premium MC step-up transformer from Hashimoto Electric, a company with a long history in audio transformers dating back to 1958 and known for supplying Sansui Electric until 1979. The HM-7 features dual primary windings that can be wired in series or parallel to match medium (7-40 ohms) or low (2-7 ohms) impedance moving coil cartridges. It provides selectable gain of either 15 times (23 dB) or 30 times (29 dB), with frequency response from 10 Hz to 80 kHz (-1 dB). The transformer is housed in a metal can and typically mounted in a shielded enclosure lined with mu-metal to minimize noise and hum. It is highly regarded for its outstanding performance, offering excellent instrument separation, a large soundstage, nuanced and textured sound, and a low noise floor. The HM-7 is often compared favorably against other top step-up transformers and is recommended for use with high-quality MC cartridges, including Koetsu and Ortofon models. It requires integration into a case for ease of use and may include switches for primary wiring configuration and grounding options. The transformer is still available made to order, often supplied as part of custom step-up transformer units.