@elliottbnewcombjr
The "rush" sound from your source components renders roughly the same on both efficient and inefficient speakers - because your efficient speakers are equally sensitive to both the noise to the signal (i.e. signal-to-noise ratio unaffected by speaker efficiency), and you simply set your volume control to the desired signal level (i.e. lower volume to compensate) - the ratio does not change.
With very low output MC cartridges you are reducing the signal without reducing your system’s noise floor (especially that before the volume control, i.e. phono stage), hence the issue - you have to raise the volume to hear same signal level, and thus you relatively amplify the phono stage’s noise level for the same signal level. The ratio gets worse as you go to lower output cartridges. Here is where SUTs can help - to raise your signal without raising noise (ground hums notwithstanding).
With very very efficient speakers as yours, you do have to become concerned about the inherent noise floor of your preamp and amp - i.e. the active gain stages AFTER the volume control. Especially the preamp, since its residual noise is un-attenuated, and amplified by the amp. Preamps that are dead quiet in normal systems may be quite noisy in yours! Generally you try to avoid high gain components with efficient speakers (mine Tannoys are an honest 96dB), but not all high gain components are equal - my ARC Ref 6 preamp has a demonstrably much lower noise floor than other tube preamps at roughly the same gain level (14 dB). It is dead quiet! Very impressive.
The "rush" sound from your source components renders roughly the same on both efficient and inefficient speakers - because your efficient speakers are equally sensitive to both the noise to the signal (i.e. signal-to-noise ratio unaffected by speaker efficiency), and you simply set your volume control to the desired signal level (i.e. lower volume to compensate) - the ratio does not change.
With very low output MC cartridges you are reducing the signal without reducing your system’s noise floor (especially that before the volume control, i.e. phono stage), hence the issue - you have to raise the volume to hear same signal level, and thus you relatively amplify the phono stage’s noise level for the same signal level. The ratio gets worse as you go to lower output cartridges. Here is where SUTs can help - to raise your signal without raising noise (ground hums notwithstanding).
With very very efficient speakers as yours, you do have to become concerned about the inherent noise floor of your preamp and amp - i.e. the active gain stages AFTER the volume control. Especially the preamp, since its residual noise is un-attenuated, and amplified by the amp. Preamps that are dead quiet in normal systems may be quite noisy in yours! Generally you try to avoid high gain components with efficient speakers (mine Tannoys are an honest 96dB), but not all high gain components are equal - my ARC Ref 6 preamp has a demonstrably much lower noise floor than other tube preamps at roughly the same gain level (14 dB). It is dead quiet! Very impressive.