I just spent the last hour with the adaptor back in place sharing two MC-0.5s with my integrated's outlet. All it took was about halfway into the second track and the odd effects I heard before were tamed down. By the third track, it was wonderfully balanced and I was getting what @lowrider57 was describing as that 3-D effect.
If I need to wait another 200 hours for it to get better, than it will be icing on the cake as it's great right now. Vocals and acoustic guitars are eerily present in the room. Mixing and recorded effects are behind them as there are now distinct planes of music before me.
I like it so much now that I may get just one more to add to the other one that feeds my SACD and ancillary equipment. I've got nothing to lose and everything to gain.
On an aside, after getting the first set of MC-0.5s, I also got a XLR to RCA adaptor so I could attach my Gutwire Grounding wire to the unused XLR input so I could ground my Kinki EX-M1 integrated at the circuit board. That was another step up, specifically in overall clarity. Kind of like popping your ears, though not as drastic, but still noticeable.
All the best,
Nonoise