Dear @drbond : " I would probably agree with you if I had the chance to listen to that system..."
You just don’t need it is not rocket science but just common sense, please let me explain about:
First the phono stage amplifying task: a healthy phono preamps that can handled any LOMC cartridge even with an output of 0.05mv or even a little lower needs around 80 dbs of gain and this gain with true low noise levels ( something only 1 or 2 units can do it if none at all. ) wwhere due to that low output in the MC cartridges the signal way before any kind of amplification is contaminated from every where ( rf, emi, wires,solder joints, etc, etc. ) so when goes inside the phono unit that signal is already " waiting " to be and suffer high electronics contamination/degradation of every kind.
What is a normal amplifier gain to handled speakers?, around 22db-26db and this gain is with a more " healthy " and " robust " signal that is not so sensitive to contamination.
For we can have 3db more gain level we need the double of power, so it’s not easy to achieve 80db gain when each 3db we need to duplicate the power: it’s a true challenge. Why do you think exist SUTs? yes because there are not many designers that can handled accurated and with aplomb that challenge.
In the other side: the RIAA equalization is a hard task and a challenge to do it accurately and what means the word " accurated " and what if not accurated?
we will see: the RIAA equalization is a curve this’s that’s not linear and the overall equalization goes around +,- 20dbs from 20hz to 20khz. This is the standard equalization that the RIAA association determined several years ago.
So during recording the equalization reduce the bass frequency range starting at around 20db and the high frequency range is incremented at around 20dbs and from there comes the RIAA curve.
Inside phono stage the recorded audio signal needs to be proccessed/must pass through an inverse RIAA equalization designed curve that been inverted permits to recover a flat signal that in theory is what we will listen through the speakers.
In that hard equalization proccess and I say " hard " because the equalization db range is of 40db, please think on this: in my old times I owned equalizers ( graphic and parametric. ) and that I remember never gone over full 12db-14db and in the phono stage " things " goes at 40dbs ! go figure. It’s a true " masacre " for that cartridge signal where everything could and can happen.
Now, the inverse RIAA equalization must be accurated to achieve that flat frequency in the phono sdtage output and that means in theory that the equalization has not any deviation over the frequency range: 20hz to 20khz. Any deviation over the RIAA curve at any discrete/main frequency affects around two octaves adyacents to it and ovbiously that affects too to the harmonics developed in between those discrete/main frequencies.
Normal phono stage RIAA deviation are in the range of: +,- 0.5db to 0.1db all over the frequency range and normally the RIAA deviation in the phono stage left channel is different to the phono stage rigth channel ! !
So we can’t have not even one channel with flat response that can honor the recorded audio signal and could be a dream to have both channels that mimic in between ! ! ! Non accurated RIAA eq. means higher colorations/distortions on what goes out of our speakers.
Well, till today I know only two phono units that are nearer the full exp´lained targets and only one of them can be buy for any one and yes that only one is FM Acoustics.
No matters wich TT you choose, no matters which cartridge you choose and no matters which tonearm you choose if your phono stage will " destroy " everything and it really matters what your analog rig does if your phono stage can honor it.
Certainly Ypsilon, CH, Dartzeel and I can follow name it can’t do it but the 223.
Here you can read something about:
R.
