One more McIntosh 1700 post.

I've posted a couple of things about my McIntosh 1700 and decided to satisfy curiosity about the phono stage by purchasing a Pro-Ject Phono Box S2 to use with it. Well, the difference could not be greater. To my ears, the phono stage on the receiver sounded a little bloated in the low frequencies, and not especially detailed, in contrast to the phono stage on my 1957 Scott 299. I am extremely happy with this Pro-Ject, and very glad I bought it. I do think it takes a week or so to break in and, to that end, I don't turn it off. Wonder if I should just leave it on. Anyway, the difference in channel separation, soundstage depth, and overall musical enjoyment is really something. I am no longer considering selling the McIntosh, which has always sounded good with digital formats.