As to the SUBSTANCE of mrtennis's assertion :that a tubed pre might be helpful in decreasing digital fatigue due to the poor execution of most digital, there may be some truth in it. Assuming proper execution ( low noise from source component) and excellent extraction of information ( cutting edge DAC's etc.) there is still a "digital" sound which is ameliorated by various output stage strategies. A TAS roundtable once brought up sibilance ( a real microphone artifact) being lessened by tubes and did this mean that tubes "smear" ( alter/color) the sound to a more pleasing one ? I think it is not a coincidence that Alexs'(APL) latest creations use low noise/error components, a dizzying array of DACs ( high info extraction) and then a TUBED output stage. Is this because tubes are more accurate than solid state( true to the ones and zeros as they come off the disc ) or because they sound better because digital is an imperfect medium in reproducing what sounds like live music ? I don't pretend to know the answer but it might be that in the absense of such an output strategy a tube preamp might improve the quality of sound and decrease digital fatigue even if it is not more "accurate" in the strictest sense of the word. - Jim
Preamplifier: Yes or NO ?
I post this thread because I want to know your opinion about the use of the preamplifier or if no preamplifier is better. A few years ago I tried the old Wadia 6 CD Player with volumen control. Althought it sounded very well without preamplifier I felt the sound lost body.
I red that many brands improved the volumen control in they CD Players so I want to know if you could compare with or without preamplifier.
So if you have CD Player like Wadia, Mark Levinson or Audio Aero, please let me know your opinion.
Thanks.
I red that many brands improved the volumen control in they CD Players so I want to know if you could compare with or without preamplifier.
So if you have CD Player like Wadia, Mark Levinson or Audio Aero, please let me know your opinion.
Thanks.