Yea I'm a nut job. Hello to you too.
Yes, seasoned cables in the phono section. It is one of the REAL reason newbies give up and can't seem to understand. The stylus, low current cables and Patience.
The Puffin just has a LOT of great options and for the price, GOOD options usually cost a lot of money. If I was strictly a vinyl person, (for the money) Herron. The price is going UP, not down on the discontinued V2. There is a reason for that. For an onboard I like my Samra Macs. C11, C20 or C22 (same as C11). I look at the scope reading before and after a rebuild. Whoopee I'm impressed. It does the same thing every time, it sounds good.
I change TWO valves, not one thing changes on the scope but the sound sure does change. Funny how that is.. Magic I guess. JJs vs Telefunken. I'm sure there is a measurement that makes a difference in voicing. I just KNOW how a valve I've had for 25 years will sound too.. Makes sense to me.. I can remember, that is even better. Yes I live with a tube tester on half the time, so I understand all that Jazz. Boring as hell to tell the truth. I like it when they blow up.. My heart starts workin' better.. LOL Tube fires are COOL. The dog gets pretty excited too.
I like Mcintosh and Krell for HT so what.. YUP a 5.1 Krell, best remote control on earth, that is a remote control for manly men...
If I didn't have a pretty good background in NOT fooling myself. I would say drag out all the test equipment you want. I know "when to" in my (retired) profession. I use to maintain drilling equipment, before and after analog to digital conversion. I was the "NULL" king of cables. LOL After OBD2 or > and CANN buss tech. Those skills aren't used so much in my OLD profession, why would I use them NOW.. Heck I can't seem to find a TEC that want to call him/herself a Mechanic. That was the only thing I ever wanted. Scotty the Mechanic at your service.
Sometimes those that aren't so familiar with the concept, of patience, SELL a lot of good gear. I'm not apposed at all. I have a barn and 2 shops full of newer stuff and a lot of older stuff too. Many people thought, what sounded BAD or were a poor match was a couple hundred hours of break in. Some of the CJ with teflon caps is a great example. 2-500 hours after a cap swap, you would think it was a different EVERYTHING, including speakers and power amps..
I'm a Reel to Reel guy too. I suppose the somewhat poor measurements from RtR makes it a poor medium too. The real issue is, is what is still in vaults today worth a crap for the future. It's not a question of measurements it's a matter of preference in the sound to MY ears.
The wife like old bad measuring STUFF to. TRY to pry her 78s out of her hands. Still feisty at 70, pretty good right cross with a news paper too. She want's me to FIX a cassette player up. Good Lord, I told her enough was enough!! I'm also looking for a Cassette player. LOL
I did have an exit physical at work. My ears work great until they don't. My ears aren't broke, the frequency is to high.. Simple fix, simple answer: don't get old!
Yes stuff breaks in. It doesn't burn in, cables sound different, and I like fresh Vanilla extract, I MADE, in my coffee. I like distortion, what can I say. Oh I really like bad measuring speakers too. VMPS is a prime example.. Love the speakers though.. I have a pair of RMx Elixirs, I wouldn't sell or trade them for anything. RM2, 30s, and 40s. They measure pretty bad, but sound pretty good.. LOL I just use a servo bass system and loose the VMPS bass it's Perfect for me. Planars and Ribbons. The only thing better is more planars and ribbons. Strathearns a personal favorite too.
I like Decware's phono stage too. Simple. That's all there is to know about me. I like rabbits and have a goat. There was a chicken revolt and a BBQ shortly there after. Justice is swift, so is propane, just not quite the flavor.
Regards
