I’ll try to offer a bit of what I’m hearing. First, though, it’s important that I mention my expertise is limited and only extends from ear to ear. Also, I’ll comment on the overall change I hear which I attribute, in part (if not substantially), to the increased gain. I’m sure my impression would differ if other variables were misaligned (i.e. speaker placement, cartridge alignment, etc). It’s a multivariate world…I’m just living in it; so, trying to offer an honest account.
Imaging and soundstage — I’ve always fought with balance, here. Often times, I’d end up with either a wide soundstage or dead-center imaging at the expense of a collapsed soundstage. It felt like a no win situation, hence my weekend “hobby” of shifting things around—always a little different (i.e. a pendulum of compromise) but never properly balanced. It seemed to me that elevating the gain allowed more girth to the outer soundstage without imbalancing or compromising imaging.
Lower noise floor — It was clear that the noise level increased when I dropped the gain from 66 to 56. There was clearly more white noise when playing music at similar volumes. Obviously, to maintain similar volume, I had to turn up the volume on my preamp when the phone pre was at 56 vs 66. Maybe resultant from additional gain in the line pre? I have no idea. The inverse occurred when I increased the gain to 76 (i.e. I was able to turn the line pre volume down resulting in a lower noise floor at similar volumes). So, it seemed the increased phono pre gain allowed me a lower noise floor.
Other — I think part of my audio pathology goes back to when I was a kid. I used to listen to my dad’s stereo in the 80’s. I was always enamored with the palpable since of hearing/feeling the pluck of a guitar or the intimacy of a voice that only a microphone can know. Over the years, that’s always been something I’ve sought but not at the expense of living with a bloated, bassy bottom end. I guess transients is the term I’m looking for. It seems like the sound carries an abruptness across a wide frequency range.
Hope that helps.
For all others — Please consider my experience as encouragement to remain persistent in pursuit of whatever sound you seek rather than a guide on how to get there. As always, I appreciate all of the Agoners who have shared their knowledge & expertise over the years. You guys are the best and make the journey for all of us much more enjoyable. Regards,