Three days, on and off and on again, reinstalling my whole analog from scratch.
Hoist a 50kg all-slate NorthWest Analog/Slateage single-tier tt stand up my spiral staircase, site and level it.
Re-position my Stacore Advanced platform on the Slateage stand, level again.
Re-install tt and Straingauge energiser box, latter on Symposium Rollerblocks, on the Stacore.
Level the tt, platter and LT air arm gantry/manifold. Take massive care to optimise Straingauge cart/stylus install, checking stylus absolutely drops on a line scored from centre hole to periphery of a test lp.
Set up an lp, pour a stiff drink, drop the stylus, listen.
And have the warm satisfied glow (aka smug satisfaction), that this has been a wholly worthwhile exercise, analog has never come close here to what I'm currently experiencing.
And the realisation I was only at 90% before. At this level, that 10% feels like 200%, so dramatic is the uptick.
Finally I'm getting proper realism on timbral accuracy, air and microdynamics. Music both floats from my Zus but also packs a proper punch, allied to a very start/stop presentation, v much like live music.
Classical and jazz are really transformed here, I'm properly differentiating instruments, real flesh, colour and delicacy. Esp noticeable in jazz where eg Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter, and John Coltrane and Pharoh Saunders, absolutely differentiate, yet lockstep on timing.
In addition to the joy of first discovering tubes and the revelation of improved room acoustics here, this rediscovery of the total magnificence of analog, rates as my most rewarding experiences in this hobby over two decades.