Dear Timeltel: +++++ " Any audio system has limitations ( many kind. ) and is this limitation system factor the one that permit or preclude to " hear things " or hear things at different quality level.
Your system as my system and other people system has lower or higher limitation factor level and this factor makes differences.
I don't know you or other persons here but if it is true that I take every single opinion very seriously and that I give the right importance to all opinions it is true too that I always analyze the " environment/stage " that surrounded/surround that single person opinion, including my opinions! " ++++++
that's what I posted and when I'm refering to " system dependent " is right to this SYSTEM LIMITATION FACTOR LEVEL ( SLFL ).
What you, other or me like it is not under discussion. IMHO almost all the persons that posted/post in this thread and several that read it but not post/posted are experienced music lovers with differences not on what they like it on the intrinsic meaning of MUSIC but more on score performances kind of level, I mean ( an example on classic music. ) you could like more a same score performance made under Solti direction than under Barenboim or you can like it more the woodwinds section performance level on the Berliner Philharmonihc than in the Viena one but these differences are not really a intrinsic MUSIC perception differences that can/could change our each one overall MUSIC meaning, I try to say that that does not change our perception of how a violin or double bass sounds ( intrinsic sound. ) and its instrument color performance ( as Frogman point out. ).
So for me and due that almost all of us are experienced music lovers what we heard in our system set up and the differences against what other person heard/hear through his system is mainly because that SLFL.
+++++ " Yes differences in audio systems makes always a difference: a difference that I think is not like night and day ( I mean all of us are experienced music lovers with full understanding of what that means. ) but more related on that limitation performance factor level that at the " end of the day " means: different resolution level, different distortions ( any kind ) level and different accuracy level, even different system set up level. " +++++
that too is what I posted somewhere and that maybe we need to re-read.
I can hear/heard in my system what the SLFL permit to hear/heard.
If for example my system frequency range performance goes between 50hz and 10khz it is obvious that I can't hear almost nothing out of that frequency range or at least I can't hear it in a precise way, so my opinions will be under my very specific SLFL environment.
What happen when I read other person opinion that is way different from mine? my first question is not if I'm right or he is wrong but: why he is hearing what he posted? which is the SLFL against mine? ( it is a little more complex than this but it is only an example .)
I'm not worried because you like it so much those Signets freaks against what I like/perceive in my system about the other cartridges I compared against the freaks.
The answer is way simple: your system and my system have way different SLFLand that's all.
I don't think that you think your system is perfect. I know mine it is not and I know too its limitations.
How conscious we are of those systems limitations help to understand in better way other people opinions. I always like to put " things " in the " right "(?) context before give an opinion.
I don't like to speak on other person SLFL but I will do as an example of what I'm saying ( please take it in good shape, I know that anyone that " touch " in any way our beloved audio system could " hurt " us: this is not the purpose in this post. ):
maybe you could think that I'm unaware on your SLFL but lucky I'm: I'm not, things are that in that old times I was in love with Pionner.
I owned a full Pionner system with these items: integrated SA-9800, PL-630 TT and HPM-900 loudspeakers. A good entry level system for those no-high end times.
I was really proud on that system with my friends. Those speakers were good ones and when I seen in the Dady's Disco in Copenhagen ( four of them at the cealing on the dance floor/place. ) my proud goes to " heaven ": I can't belived!!"! ( you know what I mean?. ).
The PL-630 is still working in my brother's system and the speakers/SA-900 in a friend's home system.
I heard your SX that has the same phono stage than the SA. My dream in those years was to own the SPECS separate but I never had that kind of money ( but I heard it several times at dealer room. ) even I can't afford the very good Sansui items.
For today standards IMHO the SLFL in the SX/SA Pionner items is really high.
In those times existed a strong " war " between Japanese audio electronics manufacturers: Pionner, Sansui, Kenwood and the like where IMHO the main targets were on specs and item facilities ( how many " things " the item can do and how many " things/items " you can connect to that item. ) even led colors and how many " lights " the item has.
IMHO the take care on design was left as a second side, all of these audio items were full of ICs ( including your SX and my SA. ), poor layouts, passive and active parts that shows low level quality performance and where the most important target was on the item final price target to compete.
These kind of items were not the Japanese high end designs but only the commercial ones to make the more money they can.
I know your Paradigm too, so in some way I know more or less why you posted and post what you did and do.
In the other side unfortunately ( you are welcome any time to do it. ) you don't know what I'm hearing.
As a whole I think that any of our systems ( any one. ) can/could give us at least a 70% to 80% of the 100% quality performance that could be achieved in a " perfect " system: a system with CERO SLFL.
The remaining/remained 20% is all about high end quality performance level.
This 20% is what really makes the systems differences and the main factor on our each one opinions.
This IMHO is not what I like it but what I hear/heard it because we like what we have ( yes all of us want to improve what we have. ) even if it is not what we really want it as a final achievement.
Timeltel, I'm not trying to dimish your system and what you hear through it I only want to put things in context. As always this is only an opinion and of course exist always ( too ) the possibility that I can be wrong.
Btw, nice history on your friend tube 100K audio system.
By separate I will give the other answers/thoughts about input/output cartridge level and how the phonolinepreamp handle it.
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.
Your system as my system and other people system has lower or higher limitation factor level and this factor makes differences.
I don't know you or other persons here but if it is true that I take every single opinion very seriously and that I give the right importance to all opinions it is true too that I always analyze the " environment/stage " that surrounded/surround that single person opinion, including my opinions! " ++++++
that's what I posted and when I'm refering to " system dependent " is right to this SYSTEM LIMITATION FACTOR LEVEL ( SLFL ).
What you, other or me like it is not under discussion. IMHO almost all the persons that posted/post in this thread and several that read it but not post/posted are experienced music lovers with differences not on what they like it on the intrinsic meaning of MUSIC but more on score performances kind of level, I mean ( an example on classic music. ) you could like more a same score performance made under Solti direction than under Barenboim or you can like it more the woodwinds section performance level on the Berliner Philharmonihc than in the Viena one but these differences are not really a intrinsic MUSIC perception differences that can/could change our each one overall MUSIC meaning, I try to say that that does not change our perception of how a violin or double bass sounds ( intrinsic sound. ) and its instrument color performance ( as Frogman point out. ).
So for me and due that almost all of us are experienced music lovers what we heard in our system set up and the differences against what other person heard/hear through his system is mainly because that SLFL.
+++++ " Yes differences in audio systems makes always a difference: a difference that I think is not like night and day ( I mean all of us are experienced music lovers with full understanding of what that means. ) but more related on that limitation performance factor level that at the " end of the day " means: different resolution level, different distortions ( any kind ) level and different accuracy level, even different system set up level. " +++++
that too is what I posted somewhere and that maybe we need to re-read.
I can hear/heard in my system what the SLFL permit to hear/heard.
If for example my system frequency range performance goes between 50hz and 10khz it is obvious that I can't hear almost nothing out of that frequency range or at least I can't hear it in a precise way, so my opinions will be under my very specific SLFL environment.
What happen when I read other person opinion that is way different from mine? my first question is not if I'm right or he is wrong but: why he is hearing what he posted? which is the SLFL against mine? ( it is a little more complex than this but it is only an example .)
I'm not worried because you like it so much those Signets freaks against what I like/perceive in my system about the other cartridges I compared against the freaks.
The answer is way simple: your system and my system have way different SLFLand that's all.
I don't think that you think your system is perfect. I know mine it is not and I know too its limitations.
How conscious we are of those systems limitations help to understand in better way other people opinions. I always like to put " things " in the " right "(?) context before give an opinion.
I don't like to speak on other person SLFL but I will do as an example of what I'm saying ( please take it in good shape, I know that anyone that " touch " in any way our beloved audio system could " hurt " us: this is not the purpose in this post. ):
maybe you could think that I'm unaware on your SLFL but lucky I'm: I'm not, things are that in that old times I was in love with Pionner.
I owned a full Pionner system with these items: integrated SA-9800, PL-630 TT and HPM-900 loudspeakers. A good entry level system for those no-high end times.
I was really proud on that system with my friends. Those speakers were good ones and when I seen in the Dady's Disco in Copenhagen ( four of them at the cealing on the dance floor/place. ) my proud goes to " heaven ": I can't belived!!"! ( you know what I mean?. ).
The PL-630 is still working in my brother's system and the speakers/SA-900 in a friend's home system.
I heard your SX that has the same phono stage than the SA. My dream in those years was to own the SPECS separate but I never had that kind of money ( but I heard it several times at dealer room. ) even I can't afford the very good Sansui items.
For today standards IMHO the SLFL in the SX/SA Pionner items is really high.
In those times existed a strong " war " between Japanese audio electronics manufacturers: Pionner, Sansui, Kenwood and the like where IMHO the main targets were on specs and item facilities ( how many " things " the item can do and how many " things/items " you can connect to that item. ) even led colors and how many " lights " the item has.
IMHO the take care on design was left as a second side, all of these audio items were full of ICs ( including your SX and my SA. ), poor layouts, passive and active parts that shows low level quality performance and where the most important target was on the item final price target to compete.
These kind of items were not the Japanese high end designs but only the commercial ones to make the more money they can.
I know your Paradigm too, so in some way I know more or less why you posted and post what you did and do.
In the other side unfortunately ( you are welcome any time to do it. ) you don't know what I'm hearing.
As a whole I think that any of our systems ( any one. ) can/could give us at least a 70% to 80% of the 100% quality performance that could be achieved in a " perfect " system: a system with CERO SLFL.
The remaining/remained 20% is all about high end quality performance level.
This 20% is what really makes the systems differences and the main factor on our each one opinions.
This IMHO is not what I like it but what I hear/heard it because we like what we have ( yes all of us want to improve what we have. ) even if it is not what we really want it as a final achievement.
Timeltel, I'm not trying to dimish your system and what you hear through it I only want to put things in context. As always this is only an opinion and of course exist always ( too ) the possibility that I can be wrong.
Btw, nice history on your friend tube 100K audio system.
By separate I will give the other answers/thoughts about input/output cartridge level and how the phonolinepreamp handle it.
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.