Originally Posted By: SolidState
Hardly, tell that to the famous audio engineers at Abby Road etc that used certain mixing boards and valve EQs etc to produce a certain sonic signature it's BS. One knows what one's ears hear.

I have no doubt that tube/valve equipment has a "sonic signature", the large amount of even-order harmonic distortion present in tubes makes them sound warm or fat. That can be a very pleasing effect if it is what you are looking for.

But adding unintended distortion during playback isn't what I want. My desire is for my chain of gear to impart as little of its own character on the sound as possible. Modern solid state and digital technologies do just that.

The changes these modders make provide nearly immeasurable differences, and certainly inaudible. Again as others have said, I want to see a rigorous, double-blind test performed between a stock and a modded component where one can be identified beyond statistical probability.

Pioneer PDP-5020FD, Marantz SR6011
Axiom M5HP, VP160HP, QS8
Sony PS4, surround backs
-Chris