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Phonostage, preamp or amp?

Hi folks,

My system is in occasional (once every month or two) rotation with a few different speakers and SS amps I have accumulated.

I have been wanting to try tubes for a while and was wondering where to start.

Which component (Phonostage, preamp or amp) in general, would:
  • Sonically produce the most noticeable tube effect/experience?
  • Require more maintenance?
  • Have greater component matching requirements (gain, impedance, etc.)?
  • Be the most logical to begin with? 

I listen to mostly jazz, classical and some rock.

Speakers:  Magnepan LRS, KEF LS50s, B&W Matrix 801 S2s, Ologe 5 and Harbeth SHL5+40s.
Amps: Ampzilla 2000 2nd Edition monos, Michael Yee Audio PA-1 and a Forte 1A (which I can't find an owners manual or specs for anywhere!)

Thanks!
hleeid
gregm
3,395 posts
 
Since you opted for a tube pre, I strongly recommend a used CAT Ultimate with integrated phono. It is an exceptionally good design and the phono section is excellent as well.
The CAT easily outperforms most pres out there -- used it should be reasonably priced.
IMO, the other thing to upgrade asap would be your DAC.
elliottbnewcombjr
5,112 posts
 
get a great signal before you amplify it!

from another current thread:

I was given a McIntosh C28 SS preamp, along with McIntosh 2250 SS Amp many years ago, used for many years.

I dedided to get back to tubes, had the factory certify them, sold them, then bought tube preamp, and tube amp.

this article helped me decide to buy McIntosh Vintage mx110z Tube Tuner/Preamp (you want the z version)

https://positive-feedback.com/Issue77/vintage_mcintosh_experience.htm

Best FM Tuner sound I ever had or heard. My Carver Tuner could beat it for weak signals but I only listen to WBGO Jazz, my dedicated FM antenna aimed at it’s source. It gets many other stations also. Most younger than me, and even very few my age have ever heard excellent FM I have found.

Love mx110z’s sound, my Reel to Reel, and especially it’s 2 phono inputs, McIntosh preamps have the wonderful mode switch which I find invaluable refining my system, and individual trim controls to match input volumes.

My prior SS C28, I actually preferred the TT’s switchable built in phono preamp to the C28’s phono.

another mx110z link

http://www.berners.ch/McIntosh/en/MX110.htm
ohlala
1,231 posts
 
The tube experience, as a generality, is the amplifier in my opinion. 
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,575 posts
 
Of all tubes power tubes are probably the least reliable.

My suggestion is start with a tube phono section if it is to be a stand-alone from the line stage (which IMO is a bad idea but that is a topic for another thread). This might sound a bit odd, but if you can audition them ahead of your purchase, listen for the ticks and pops and go with the one that has the least. Many ticks and pops are generated by the phono section although they might sound for all the world as if they are on the LP surface. Its far easier to design and build a tube phono section that does not have this problem than solid state. The other thing to keep in mind is that if the front end of your system does not deal with the signal correctly, you can have the best amps and speakers in the world and you won't be able to correct what the front end got wrong.

Of course if the phono section is integrated into a good line stage as a full function preamp, so much the better as you have less connectivity issues!
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