How is it ? that a tuner smokes the table ???

Basis and Micro 5000 are better (with a good Phono stage/Arm, Cart., Cable), but this Tuner is a single box unit, 1 way to connect and that's it. Better than all Wadias until the latest units, better than dcs, Levinson and some others. I lost interest in digital after this experience. I avoid discussions like that, because I know, no one will believe it, but - for me - it is the way it is.

Thanks, Syntax. That does help give me an idea of what this unit is realistically capable of.

I can understand what you say about digital, especially CDPs. I'm using a little transport ripped out of a cheap boombox. It is based on a project on DIYaudio. So far this project transport has cost me about $400 but it is as good as any CD transport I've ever heard. This project has also taught me that there will not be any spinning digital media in my system once this little cdp is gone. Well, except for maybe a spinning harddrive. :-)

It could be the tubes in the MD. They can give music a more lifelike quality when added to a system.

"It could be the tubes in the MD."

That could do it if the other sources are tube deprived.

Radios were raised on tubes. Tubes were on the decline as vinyl became more popular. They were largely forgotten by the time CDs came around.

Now they are on the upswing again it seems at least with the audio obsessed crowd.

Great reply Kirkus. I was trying to be general enough to not step on toes, but help explain the transmit chains and possible sources of degredation. A set of good ears make much of the processing minimalistic loss-wise. Often times the processing can improve attributes of the sound. While in no way can it be considered a simple signal chain, it's not necessarily negative in results (not necessarily positive either though I must add).

Great dialog!