2. amps-preamps
  3. 1170131486

Shouldnt you match tube with tube ?

Heres something i never really understood, and maybe can help me with my preamp quandry...

I cant see why if you have one tube component, wouldnt you need the other to be tube as well to really get the "tube effect" ?

I particularly cant undestand why someone would use a tube preamp with a non-tube amp. I mean the amp is the last component before the sound is reproduced by the speaker, so i would think for a "tube" sound, the amplifier would have to be tube.
The other way around i could understand a bit more, but am still a bit curious as to the quality. I mean the preamp handles the initial sound decoding and or distribution, so although i think if you have a tube amp with a non-tube preamp, the amp would be able to give you some "tube" sound, i would still think that to get the best tube effect, that both the preamp and amp would have to be of tube type.

Someday when i have the money id love to put all this to the test for myself, but until then id love to hear you thoughts.
ramax

Showing 1 response by laguna_b

laguna_b
1 posts
 
I had a Classe DR-10 (SS) with an Audible Illusions Pre (tube) for years. When I originally got the AI and used it with a Hafler amp I immediately notice a huge improvement. The Classes made for much more but one thing I noticed was the Classe was VERY warm. Recently I bought a used Rogue 88 Magnum to go all tube. WOW, what a differrence...clarity, detail soundstage... I have been doing tube rolling to NOS Mullards for the KT88s and they bring a lot more balance and some additional clarity ($720 for the 4). I am also fixing up the small signal tubes to Bugle Boys and RCAs.
I agree in general with the comments above but for the CD player. Going digital does all the damamge to the music. I can't imagine that having tubes in the final pre-preamp stage will make much differrence. I have a Nakamichi OMS-7 that STILL beats anything today that I have heard for a CD player and it has to be 15+ years old. Listen to a regular CD on it vs. a SACD on my pricey Denon 5910 and the Nak is a clear winner.
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