As a owner of the k10, I don't hear the slowness. I can only guess it's system matching or warmup issues the others have had. The k10 in my system takes a few days to settle down and emerge to its glory after transport. I can only guess the transformers (input or output) don't like being jiggled around. None of the reviewers mention this ... I don't mean to say the others are off base.
I have a lightning fast system with the k10 as the pre...
That sounds more like the description I have heard before from people who've auditioned it and/or own it. What I CAN say with my own system is that as things have quieted down (simply reducing distortion...not introducing new equipment or anything)...is that some music that seemed to go by in a flash...for example, the first 30 seconds of an opening track which are 'nothing'...now suddenly seem so long because there is a mood setting, pauses in between the opening notes...and it can be quite startling.
And I suppose I could also say...much 'slower' but I never thought of it this way...I always felt so much of the music has so much more meaning now with articulate pauses, etc. This is just what happened in my system the last several months as more and more has become isolated, quieted, etc.
For example, Rachel Podger Vivaldi Extravaganza (Channel Classics)...always very 'bracing' music...has kept the same pace, but as instrument separation and generally the system distortion removed...it has kept the PACE and vibrancy...but seems less like the whole ensemble was 'rushing'.
I heard this same piece on a massive Genesis 1.1/DCS Scarlatti/all-Kondo all out assault system and was absolutely AMAZED to hear it sound so calm sounding, and suddenly it occurred to me...is THIS the way it actually SHOULD sound? I obviously don't know.
...but what I DO know is that as mechanical distortions, etc have been reduced in my own system, this particular piece has definitely moved in the direction of the SOTA Genesis system...which leads me to believe that the big Genesis systems interpretation of the music might possibly be 'correct'...and thus, 'slower' in this case for Rachel Podger or certainly 'calmer' may be correct.
interesting...