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Now let’s talk about
lighting.
High-key lighting is a style of lighting for film that aims to reduce
the lighting ratio present in the scene. High-key lighting is quite
homogeneous and free from dark shadows. This would fairly describe my
first impressions of the SUT in the system.
Before we talk more about Bob’s SUT, let’s take a moment to get a grip on
the cartridge. This is a mature design well received and
reviewed by the press and owners alike. Those familiar with the character
of the Dynavector 17D know it has ruler-flat response and incredible
transparency. It’s described as being fast, neutral, brilliant, detailed and dynamic;
as possessing an incredible midrange; and offering excellent detail and
finesse in the treble.
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I agree mostly but would add that for me it is
somewhat reticent in the bass and the mids are drier than my ideal. Detail
retrieval, imaging and speed are the strong suits for certain. And yes it’s
dynamic but so is the less expensive Dynavector 20X, which also delivers
more color and a bigger stage. It’s very easy to align and is a superb
tracker. The 17D is astonishingly quiet and the sound is so clean that it
quickly verges on becoming clinical in the wrong setup.
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When using Bob’s device three things changed significantly. The addition
seriously opened up the top end and released gobs of air. It allowed for some
needed weight in the bass to come through. And the soundstage got as big
as the Montana sky on a clear day.
I mentioned earlier that high-key lighting is quite homogeneous and free
from dark shadows. This means that the primary benefit of high-key lighting—and drawback
depending on your goals—is that it fails to add meaning
or drama by lighting certain parts more prominently than others. The upshot
is that with a cartridge as 'accurate' as the 17D and my musical
preferences, I would want to add shadow, shade and texture at some point
down the chain, be that with cabling, another phono stage, tubes etc.
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You might not and that’s just fine. But if you do want to influence the
tonal or temperature palettes, Bob’s device is not the way to do that.
Bob’s device fails to add meaning or drama. And there’s nothing wrong
with that because that’s not its job. Its job is to boost the tiny signal coming
off the cartridge. So what it does right as far as I can tell is that it
allows the cartridge to perform in an unfettered manner by seeing an
optimal load. And it does that without adding any noise or grain I could
discern.
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The result?
You will now get more of what you paid for with your cartridge. Whether you like that or not is another matter.
I happened to very much like the 'wide shot' aspect of it. Lots of space
and perspective both near and far is always a plus for me. That it allowed
the system to image a bit better didn’t get me excited but it might really float
your boat. That it improved openness in the treble and allowed the cart to
show its stuff in the bottom end sure worked for me though. There was
some improvement in macro dynamics as well but I would have preferred
something that addressed the slight dryness in the mids. Too bad for me
coz it ain’t gonna happen.
And that’s okay because Bob’s device can rightfully say, "That’s not my
job." Which is as it should be since Bob has done his job very well. |
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