A big hello dynaco fans, boy are we all in good taste or what
I had a very early marantz, their top integrated with no receiver with my dynaco 25's, and must agree muddy it was not at all.
I think I had a Phillips tube tuner and a AT 12 cartridge and live vinyl on FM
I pulled the fiberglass vent and put a horn tweeter in, adjusted to still available air venting space around horn, and everybody wanted to hear the new "Boston" album At rubes place, which was fine with me cause they brought various wet and dry refreshments.
I worked at a music store and folks came from far and wide to hear the rig, this "Muddy" issue is a real illusion introduced by audiophiles, which are not the same a music lovers, TONE is what makes a rig stand out,
good tone has zero listeners fatigue, listeners fatigue is most times the result of a over bright system thats seeks to show perfect detail, at the cost of tone and healing peaceful listening.
although sometimes it comes from a boom bastic woofer too.
I say this not to cast ill on imaging, but it has gone way way way to far,
the idea that a good music rig can give you listeners fatigue, is crazy nuts, and proof some thing is way the heck off course from its original desired destination.
If you listen and look clearly, most perfect sound stage detailing rigs, have a very dark sound cold sound, though many do get around it and sound wonderful, but cold and dark is the trend.
HI def is the tail that waged the dog of good music into the woods,
IMHO
years ago i met a musician "Tish Hinojosa" and complimented her on the wild perfect beautiful stage imaging of her album, she said- """""that is a compliment i will pass to the engineer, but actually,,,,, we were all in different rooms with our own mic, ,
There was no sound stage, and most of the drums were put in later.""""