Can excellent tubes transcend modest amps?


I am wondering how far a good but not amazing amp design with decent parts such as Antique Sound Lab AQ1003 DT or a Jolida 302B can be improved by putting top notch NOS tubes? In other words, is it worth buying a used $500 integrated and give it an extreme tube make over for $200-400 rather than buying say a PrimaLuna or Cayin in the $800-900 range with its stock tubes?
kanuk

Showing 1 response by plato

That's kind of a good question... I think I'd rather have the better amp with the stock tubes.

I own both the ASL1003DT and a PrimaLuna Dialogue Two. I know, because I've made the comparison, that the Dialogue Two sounds better than the ASL amp when using the exact same tubes (mainly at the frequency extremes). It's more solid in the bass, a little more dynamic, and more detailed/extended in the treble.

That said, the ASL amp sounds very good in its own right. It seems to roll the upper treble a bit, which could be a blessing in systems that tend toward brightness. I don't have any experience with the Jolida amps.