I get it now

Welcome to your new and costly neurosis. 👍😄👍
At least this is one you can really enjoy.

All the best,
Nonoise

take it slow, let it develop, don’t rush into a new TT until you really get a handle on what you are dealing with.

Let some errors or problems in the presentation happen, with regard to your ’getting it’. To hear some bad stuff that could be improved, first. To allow it to step into your notice.

separate the good from the bad. ie, learn nuance in the new found good stuff. cleave carefully.

THEN go out a get a turntable as then you will know what good and bad are and that it can be separated out in the gear the new turntable will be connected to.

single cause analysis, otherwise it becomes a jumbled mess.. that when you finally start to hear bad things again (learning to parse nuance), and the joy dampens a bit and you learn more..well...

...,you won’t be able to get a grip on where it is coming from and what has to stay, and what has to go. you’ll be trying to change things but be a bit rudderless as to the causal analysis.

akin to eating lots of different foods and then not knowing what goodie was the one that caused all the tummy trouble.

so, don’t rush it, is my advice...

It sounds so good, now I need a new turntable ;)

Atta boy!

OP everything is new and fun, BUT the fact of the matter is that C2500 is a great all around preamp. A good phono stage (not a super duper phono stage) with options for MC loading and dual TT/Carts/Tonearms.

Variable "Loudness" AND tone control. Say what you will, NO tone control
I’m looking REAL hard to see what they offer, IF they don’t have it..

I mean if I want a passive preamp, I’LL MAKE IT..

If I want a line stage preamp. I’d probably build it too.. Other than real pretty what else is there.. Ins and Outs and hooking the two together without crosstalk..

You should hear that C2500 with a Cary V12r all dolled up running planar monitors. DSP MB columns and a servo bass system.. I don’t care what you use for a source. it’s pure heaven. THAT 2500 is the real jewel in the mix...

BTW it likes a good PC I use a simple silver clad weave, light not to heavy, about 1 meter long.. It works out to # 14. Mine was 49.00.. but you can spend what you want... The one I use sell everywhere for 29-350.00. There is that much difference in who makes the VERY same PC.. Not one thing different.. Except the cost..

Don’t forget the two main tubes if they are stock.. get rid of them.. Anything is better.. The phono section, good valves make a BIG difference too... Lets make that 4 matched valves.. RCAs or Tellies.. GOOD ones.. don’t cheap out, spend 1-150 for the 4 or 6 valves.. Well worth it.. DON’T get hoodwinked with 2-300 a pair valves either..

That's right HAT on the floor, it;s time to DANCE.. As I walk around the hat to the beat of the music and my faithful K-9 folliws me.. I stop.. and I slowly back

Regards

@oldhvymec, @teo_audio Thanks for the great tips!  Yes, the tubes are still stock (have the McIntosh logo on them).  I'll look for 4 matched valves to swap out and see how it sounds.  That's also good advice on upgrading slowly...but man is that hard to hold myself to.  Almost as hard as slowing down how many records I buy so I can enjoy them longer ;)