Question about neutrality and transparency in an amp


I've just acquired a Hegel H160 integrated along with a pair of Dynaudio Focus 160 speakers and am breaking in this combination with a digital source. The amp is quite colorless and neutral, as are the speakers. I'm personally inclined toward a warmer sound. I don't have any analog sources at the moment, but I'm wondering... if I connected a turntable, cartridge, and phono stage combination that, taken together, presented a decidedly warm sonic signature, would this warmth be conveyed by the amp and speakers to my ears?
echobase

Showing 1 response by rodman99999

Your claim that both your speakers and integrated are, " quite colorless and neutral", should answer that question for you. Transparent, colorless and neutral all connote faithfulness to the source, or whatever’s upstream. If you want warm colored analog, pick a tubed phono stage and play with some British valves(ie: Brimar or Mullard). There are also tubed buffers, that can warm up your digital sources. Some integrated have Pre Out / Main In features(or a Tape loop), that would allow one to insert a tube buffer, and warm everything up.  Didn't see those mentioned in the Hegel's manual though.