My apologies, Dave - nice edit:

[edit] - 30 years ago (around 1979 - 1982) we almost all had systems and philosophies based solely around the LP12 of the period and not listening to high quality neutral (ish) setups was discouraged (Quad, Rogers, Spendor etc..), let alone some of the better US models (and some of these work really well in UK rooms).
Indeed. In those days, systems were artificially tailored to produce a certain 'sound' (to suit the hopelessly coloured LP12s of the day), which seemed far from being sonically neutral and/or faithful to what was actually recorded on the vinyl itself.

Slotting an L-07D into systems expecting to 'see' the euphonic and syrupy bloat of the (then) LP12 would result in, as you say, a rather 'sober' and boring presentation, and so a complete sonic mismatch!

It's that type of sound (the former) that I utterly detest with vinyl replay (so how then would I seek it from an SPU? Think about that Dave!! ), although I fully realise that the best of today's LP12s sound very little like that. However, some low and medium-mass B/Ds I've heard from other manufacturers still have that type of sonic signature.

It's not an effect I seek from vinyl at all, or indeed have in my system from any component.

Marco.