Oh! Sorry I forgot to return the PM. That's a fine deal (is it the newest 3.5 watt version?). I don't have any cash right now but I always have a list of desires when funds come up, which they sometimes do.
The Signatures with or without a tubed preamp, an interesting question. I had been running the Sigs through the TacT and Lessloss DAC (essentially a neutral SS preamp). "The panel" liked this sound but preferred the Yamamoto significantly as having better harmonic bloom (I can't disagree).
Then I started experimenting with gear swaps and reasoned since the Signatures are more neutral, they should also be more transparent to let me know what's happening with the changes. I was using a different SS preamp. I thought "how about that, I'm running an all SS rig", which I never thought would happen. I found myself detached from the music, everything was there without annoying bits, great transparency, I couldn't find a fault but yet didn't feel moved by the performance.
Just for kicks I put the Yamamoto back in the rig and the colors rushed back in! One thing quickly led to another and Hello Lamm.
In an essentially neutral system, the Signatures aren't tube amps. They won't imbue instrumental weight in nearly the same way. However, in a system of warmer thoughts they might just be the smooth customer to finalize the deal. I'm not surprised there's folks on both sides. When I get the Altmann back, I'll try going straight from the Altmann to the Signatures and see where that goes. I doubt it will be holographic in the same way the Lamm is but I bet it would be a "long haul" candidate.
Lamm thought of the day - I was listening with my mom the other night. She's not an audiophile by any stretch but she has a nice setup and loves music. We listened to Kind of Blue straight through. Both of us have heard this album 1000 times and I've used it to evaluate horn tone for the last 7 years. No kidding, we both thought it sounded like a different recording, and she's heard it at my house on this basic setup at least 5 times before.
I frankly didn't know the horn dynamics were recorded so well. And, the overall performance context was greater than I've heard it. The piano has never made much sense to me on this album, just tinkling keys "over there". Mom noticed the interplay between the piano and trumpet which she hadn't before. And the bass strings seemed stronger and wholly involved with the performance, which they never have for me before. Even though the horns are obviously placed heavily in front of the mix, the rest was brought forward to give real significance to the entirety.
It was one of those home run moments we all hope for in our madness.
