Does your system have jump?

While my view is not definitive by any means, the notion of jump can be characterized as the ability of the system to convey the dynamic swings of the music. Thus one might construe the system as possessing the characteristic of jump in that it is able to transmit such qualities inherent in recordings. The problem of language of course is that people infer different meanings based on reference to varying experiences and value sets. There is a great book on jazz that describes this kind of music as that which has a "swinging feeling." Now who knows what exactly constitutes swinging? Yet perhaps we might say that we know it when we hear it.

For me the preamp has always been the weak link. I journeyed through many preamps and realize one, I prefer tube amps and two, overall synergy is best left untouched once one finds a happy equilibrium. As for what others have said, I like Rowland preamps for their timbral accuracy but the sound was a bit constrained dynamically.

As for music, it happens regardless of the system which is being used but in this hobby of audiophiliacs the question is not whether my boom box or iPod has jump but whether the object of our lavish attention is able to capture and convey this inherent aspect of music. If you read Aaron Copeland's primer on music, he observes that before anything came rhythm and I agree.