question about the "analog sound"

I think Vinyl is a bit laid back compared to the "dryness' of digital, which is why many people like it. I am not surprised to see you comment that it lacks the "ooomph" you are used to hearing on digital, which some would call "harsh".

My experience with Vinyl was that you could get "oomph" on 12" 45 RPM singles made for clubs....just as good as digital. However, LP's were just a tad bit polite...I used to buy only Japanese pressings because of these issues. Although Vinyl quality variablility was not as bad as modern pop CD's ...

Obviously you'll get lots of different opinions on what the problem is. However, the FIRST thing I always look at when I read these analog posts is how much output the cartridge has and how much gain the phono preamp provides.

As mentioned above by another poster, the Bellari gain is low: with the stock tube around 30 db. Your cartridge at 5 mV is looking for an ideal match with a phono pre around 36 db of gain. Sometimes you can get away with being 3-4 db short of gain. My experience when you get to being 5-7 or more db short is this: you can crank the volume up all you want and it will get louder but the music will still sound anemic, bland and totally lacking in dynamics. Kind of like listening through about 3 wet blankets.

My advice is this: check at vinyl asylum on another tube for the Bellari that might increase the gain a bit-I believe I've read somewhere that this is possible and probably won't cost an arm or a leg. Alternatively, try to borrow a phono stage suitable for MM/MI cartridges with 36 db. of gain. My guess is that you will be pleasantly surprised with what the correct amount of gain matched properly to your phono cartridge will do. Will it be perfect? Of course not, but at least you'll begin to hear what your equipment is capable of.

I think your 'overtubed' with the bellari and the AES. Try a Graham SLEE SE2, might cost another $100 if you can find one used...i tried the bellari for grins and couldn't send it back fast enough as I'm tubed up as well...might be nice with a SS setup though.

Lwood

If you are satisfied with the sound/dynamics of your digital front end: Try auditioning a few different phono pre-amps and cartridges with higher outputs. That's one of the most critical relationships in an analog system(that and cartridge compliance/tone arm mass). Be certain the cartridge is loaded properly(capacitance/impedance). That will have a major influence on your sound also(though usually the freq. response rather than dynamics): (http://www.extremephono.com/Loading.htm) As mentioned: The quality of records varies widely, like any other media. be certain to listen to records of known quality when your judging the equipment.