"What you should do Grannyring to see if the Dude is artificially giving depth, is what I preach all along, put your CDP straight into your poweramp (Bolero Test) no preamp. Put on a quite cd so you can then ascertain a good level of cd to play, then swap in the Lightspeed then your Dude and see which is closer to no preamp. The one that is, is the one that is truer to the source." George...
As I stated on the 9th, using the Bolero test to argue for a pre-amps' relative transparency or "trueness" is circular and flawed logic IMO. After rereading George's statement, the real burning question is not whether the Dude is adding an artifical depth but rather whether the LSA is simply not able to convey information that is inherent to the recording. CDPs generally suck when driving amps directly due to a lack of current (not merely a function of output voltage as some have suggested above in this thread). Current, from my limited understanding, is needed to reproduce in particular lower frequency information. When that is missing, soundstaging is effected among other things. Driving higher frequencies (tweeter) generally requires less current, and when done without proper representation of the lower frequency info, people often misinterpret this thin sound as "transparency." I myself have experienced that transitory illusion when playing direct. Ergo, a device which more closely mimics this phenomenon is not desirable IMO.
I am signing off. I will report back with results from the "Heather test." Some particulars you need to know about this particular test: I usually have to ply her with at least one glass of red wine in advance. A vintage Vera Neuman scarf (of her choosing) as a blindfold. 5-10 familiar tracks played at between 80-90 dB. Each single track will be played on each device and will be verbally labelled A + B. Just now, Heather giggled with glee when I informed her that a test has been named after her.
As I stated on the 9th, using the Bolero test to argue for a pre-amps' relative transparency or "trueness" is circular and flawed logic IMO. After rereading George's statement, the real burning question is not whether the Dude is adding an artifical depth but rather whether the LSA is simply not able to convey information that is inherent to the recording. CDPs generally suck when driving amps directly due to a lack of current (not merely a function of output voltage as some have suggested above in this thread). Current, from my limited understanding, is needed to reproduce in particular lower frequency information. When that is missing, soundstaging is effected among other things. Driving higher frequencies (tweeter) generally requires less current, and when done without proper representation of the lower frequency info, people often misinterpret this thin sound as "transparency." I myself have experienced that transitory illusion when playing direct. Ergo, a device which more closely mimics this phenomenon is not desirable IMO.
I am signing off. I will report back with results from the "Heather test." Some particulars you need to know about this particular test: I usually have to ply her with at least one glass of red wine in advance. A vintage Vera Neuman scarf (of her choosing) as a blindfold. 5-10 familiar tracks played at between 80-90 dB. Each single track will be played on each device and will be verbally labelled A + B. Just now, Heather giggled with glee when I informed her that a test has been named after her.