A day's worth of playing later and the new SUT shows virtually no losses now, which is impressive since there's another set of interconnects involved. I'm not sure yet if it sounds like an unequivocal, significant improvement on running straight into the phonostage, but it does sound perhaps a touch more relaxed and inviting in its presentation, but still well-defined, open and extended.
My assumption is that, as much as anything having to do with the SUT itself, this is probably a function of setting the phonostage to its MM defaults for lowest gain and highest impedance, the benefits of which (including, presumably, a somewhat better S/N ratio) apparently pretty evenly offset any losses from the added stuff in the signal path. Any other slight differences, especially in terms of tonality, can probably be mostly attributed to the fact that the available loading choices don't correspond exactly, although they're in the same zip code. I'm enjoying it; as far as I can tell based on this one sampling, an SUT isn't some sort of panacea, as certain proponents have seemed to claim, but it's definitely not an albatross either, as some SUT detractors have implied. But whether it's actually worth the expenditure for me is a question I'll have to answer within the week...
J.J. Johnson Quintet - "Dial JJ5" [Columbia LP '57] Dig the plain old 'modern' white desk telephone pictured life-size on the cover -- J.J.'s mustachioed mug smiling out from the center of the dial, cigarette elegantly in hand -- I guess then all the latest rage in fashionably chic telephony, what with its clean lines and newfangled coiled cord. Well it still stands up as an icon of the period, just like this swell, empathetic session, in warm 6-eye mono, featuring Tommy Flanagan piano, Elvin Jones drums, Wilbur Little bass, and the lesser-known Bobby Jaspar on tenor, flute and also clarinet. Great tunes and arrangements too -- I could listen to this one all day and practically have been, trying to break-in this transformer
Richard 'Groove' Holmes - "Les McCann Presents The Dynamic Jazz Organ Of..." [Pacific Jazz LP '61] With Ben Webster sax and McCann piano (love the combo of piano and Hammond organ together -- later one of the secret weapons of The Band in another context, if you ask me), supported by Ron Jefferson drums and a swinging guitarist with great tone named George Freeman
Carmen McRae - "Blue Moon" [Decca LP '57] Did you know that like Nat Cole, she actually started out as a pianist rather than a singer? Orchestra directed by Tadd Dameron on several cuts
Mary Lou Williams/Ralph Burns - "Composer-Pianists" [Jazztone LP '57] With Jimmy Raney guitar and Osie Johnson drums
Gerry Mulligan - "Presenting The Gerry Mulligan Sextet" [Emarcy LP '56] With Zoot Sims tenor, Bob Brookmeyer trombone, Dave Bailey drums
Count Basie & His Orchestra - "Li'l Ol' Groovemaker...Basie!" [Verve LP '63] Composed and arranged by Quincy Jones
The Fireballs - "Torquay" [Dot LP '63] Forget cornball singer Jimmy Gilmer ("Sugar Shack"), whom the group sometimes backed, the Ventures-meet-Chet Atkins lead guitar stylings of George Tomsco are the attraction of their instro incarnation
The Everly Brothers - "Gone Gone Gone" [Warner Brothers LP '65] I'm a big fan of Don & Phil on WB throughout the 60's -- their torrent of chart toppers may have dried up for the most part by the time the British Invaders whose sound they helped inspire washed ashore (think of The Beatles and Hollies harmonies), but the brothers never stopped, and the self-penned title tune is one of their best
"Friday At The Hideout: Boss Detroit Garage 1964-67" [Norton comp. LP '01] Wanna know where Bob Seger and Glenn Frey got their starts as teenagers? Actually neither would I, but along with Suzi Quatro this contains the answer, and if you prefer hormonal rock and roll over Rock, it's cooler than a whole lot of what they did afterward
