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Question about neutrality and transparency in an amp

I've just acquired a Hegel H160 integrated along with a pair of Dynaudio Focus 160 speakers and am breaking in this combination with a digital source. The amp is quite colorless and neutral, as are the speakers. I'm personally inclined toward a warmer sound. I don't have any analog sources at the moment, but I'm wondering... if I connected a turntable, cartridge, and phono stage combination that, taken together, presented a decidedly warm sonic signature, would this warmth be conveyed by the amp and speakers to my ears?
echobase
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cleeds
5,950 posts
 
echobase
"I've just acquired a Hegel H160 integrated along with a pair of Dynaudio Focus 160 speakers ... The amp is quite colorless and neutral, as are the speakers ... if I connected a turntable, cartridge, and phono stage combination that, taken together, presented a decidedly warm sonic signature, would this warmth be conveyed by the amp and speakers to my ears?
By definition, if you have a neutral system and you feed it a warm signal, you'll get a warm result.
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inna
7,296 posts
 
I would guess that for now your system sounds lifeless and incoherent, not colorless and neutral, which is an abstraction. Also, colored and colorful are totally different things, the former is bad, the latter is good.
Analog can also sound cold and uninviting, it depends, including on the recording. But, yes, good analog source brings out the best in amps and speakers.
echobase OP
1 posts
 
It's just my perception that this combination sounds very neutral having just transitioned from a Rega integrated and Acarian Alon loudspeakers that sounded like honey on a stick in comparison. I've only got 100 hours on the new gear, so yes, it's still early... I will continue the break in process.

@rodman99999 Thanks for the tube recommendations.

@jmcgrogan2 I'd be really interested to know which digital sources you'd describe as rich and warm.
inna
7,296 posts
 
No digital system I am aware of can sound rich and warm in a natural way. It might one day but not yet. He was kidding. Adding tube amp in the middle may help create this illusion, but it is what it is - an illusion. 
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