It could be that you’re like me, and like a bit of bass. The HD600 doesn’t have much at all (fight me Senn fans) so you keep turning it up to get some impact until the upper midrange starts to hurt you.

Try a little bass shelf and see if your experience doesn’t improve.

(it won’t solve the soundstage issue with those headphones, however)

Having worked retail for 20 years (electronics stores, bike shops, book shops, groceries), I can tell you there are 4 types of retail assistant:

1. enthused and empathetic and genuinely trying to help you
2. just getting by, trying to earn a living, largely indifferent
3. jaded grizzled types whose filter has been completely eroded, if it was ever there (usually the final state of type 2)
4. testosterone-fuelled borderline sociopaths who would rip your head off and slam dunk it in the till for a sale, and whose attitude to you will turn in a dime based on whether or not you are going to buy something ‘worth their time’.

Retail, sadly, tends to reward the fourth type only.

It should default to Stereo, which will just output to the front L&R speakers, maybe your sub.

Marantz typically have 3 modes that might apply for phono - Stereo (2 channel with some processing), Direct (whatever channels on the input are output unprocessed, other than phono stage stuff in the case of the phono input), and Pure Direct (same as direct, but all the video circuitry is turned off also).

All Channel Stereo, and potentially some of the surround modes (Neo: whatever) may create a centre channel out of the existing stereo signal and output it through that centre speaker, which you don’t want. Basically, if there’s no audio on the centre when you play a record, that setting is fine.

From memory, the receiver should remember the processing mode last used for each input.

I was going to say, “hey, don’t put the turntable on the same surface as a speaker”, but then I realised it’s fine as long as you’re not in ‘All Ch. Stereo’ when playing records. So, don’t mind me, I’m just having a molasses brain day.

My OG setup was a Marantz Receiver and KEF towers (Qs, because I couldn’t spring for Rs at the time). Still have the KEFs. They make a great speaker. Looks like you’re all set!

Also, yes, excellent dog, would pat.

I came here to say this.

The Cartier. Not many watches are recognisable from across the street without being gaudy. It’s just gorgeous.

Depends on the speaker and the room. If the speaker is near my kid, grille on. If the speaker has an exposed or vulnerable/delicate tweeter, especially if it’s a dome that’s proud of the baffle (hello Dynaudio), grille on. If the tweeter is recessed, has a guard, is horn loaded, or is a straight up horn+compression driver, usually grille off, unless the speaker is too bright-sounding.

I think the Cartier Tank Must Solarbeat was as expensive as I’ve contemplated, but people with more means might go higher. I think a quartz needs to do a little more to justify itself in the higher price brackets, but it’s still conceivable you’d pay just as much as you would for an auto, for the right watch with the right finishing.

I am normally a sucker for colour accents, but the left is better executed, and solar. Left for me, no question.