Csmithbarc,
Mab33's discovery re: the Prima Luna's input sensitivity mirrors what I found (but didn't post, since I wanted someone else to verify it - thanks, Mab33!). There's a case to be made that it's so low that many phono preamps will overdrive it. This can lead to all sorts of audio nasties, and their character will undoubtedly depend on the source doing the overdriving. How to tell? If the sound is especially distorted or unpleasing on dynamic peaks or strong, sustained vocals, your Prima Luna's input sensitivity is probably overloaded.
On "punchy" vs. "muddy" bass...
Have you tried different tubes in the AES? You've got a 12au7 regulating the power supply (I think) and 6SJ7's as signal tubes. Rolling different tubes into either of these locations will provide substantially different sounds. "Muddy" bass is characteristic of some tubes more than others. I don't have any specific recommendations for the tube types your AES uses, but as a rough guideline, look for tubes whose internal structures appear especially robust and "stable", in an architectural sort of way. Tubes built like this tend to have tighter bass than tubes with less solid internal structures.
Best,
Doug
Mab33's discovery re: the Prima Luna's input sensitivity mirrors what I found (but didn't post, since I wanted someone else to verify it - thanks, Mab33!). There's a case to be made that it's so low that many phono preamps will overdrive it. This can lead to all sorts of audio nasties, and their character will undoubtedly depend on the source doing the overdriving. How to tell? If the sound is especially distorted or unpleasing on dynamic peaks or strong, sustained vocals, your Prima Luna's input sensitivity is probably overloaded.
On "punchy" vs. "muddy" bass...
Have you tried different tubes in the AES? You've got a 12au7 regulating the power supply (I think) and 6SJ7's as signal tubes. Rolling different tubes into either of these locations will provide substantially different sounds. "Muddy" bass is characteristic of some tubes more than others. I don't have any specific recommendations for the tube types your AES uses, but as a rough guideline, look for tubes whose internal structures appear especially robust and "stable", in an architectural sort of way. Tubes built like this tend to have tighter bass than tubes with less solid internal structures.
Best,
Doug