Funny, I have an original "american" version with the hex screws and I would NEVER describe it as "dull" or "dark". To my ears, it adds a nice silky top end sheen to whatever you put through it. My gut tells me that the tubes make a bid difference in the sound, despite it not being at full plate voltage. Maybe mine has different tubes than some others... but it's not dull or dark by any stretch.
My buddy has a chinese style old version, maybe we should a/b them.
I'd love to hear the new one, but I'm not sure I need two of these units.
