Toobs + SS = x

ux4, ewe say, regarding using toobs to warm tings up: "...look elsewhere & remove the problem..." well, i guess yure rite - we can ditch all our digital hardware & software! ;~) while toobs were always popular w/a small percentage of audiophiles prior to 1984, i believe the reason they are so popular today in the audiophile community, is due to the digital playback technology. it's yust plain cold, hard, flat, shall i say *distorted*? while i agree in principal that one shouldn't "add countervailing distortions", what's wrong w/using a toob preamp if it makes everyting sound better? my toobed pre's thd runs ~0.07%, btw... and, *all* the sources - tuna & fono, not yust cd - also sound better.

my prior preamp - a linn kairn - had great dynamics, frequency extension, accuracy, timbre, soundstage width & height. but, little soundstage depth - kinda flat. my present preamp gives up *nothing* to the linn's strengths - it's even more dynamic. but, now i have a depth to the soundstage that yust wasn't there before. countervailing distortion? dunno, but it's more like music...

ymmv, doug s.

ux4, sorry, i missed the fact that ewe were quoting redkiwi... oops. ;~) redkiwi, i guess yure rite - if yure using an unmusical/hard/cold/grainy (choose one or more) ss pre-amp, ewe can certainly warm it up by adding a mushy toob amp... :>)

please allow me to cut-n-paste from a toob/solidstate-amp/pre thread that generalizes my feelings towards this:

"i presently am happy w/a toobed pre & s/s amps. i can't afford a toobed amp that gives no quarter to solid-state amps where solid-state excels. much as i like the air that toobs impart into a soundstage, it takes big bucks to get a toob amp w/the frequency extension, accuracy & drive that s/s amps have, & that, i can't do w/o."

"likewise, i can't afford a solid-state preamp that gives no quarter to toob pre's, where *they* excel. plenty of toobed pre's that excel in areas where solid-state pre's excel - dynamics, frequency extension, accuracy - but few solid-state pre's that can give the air to a soundstage like a toobed pre, and it'll cost lotsa $$$... "

bottom line for me, is i'd have toob amps if i had an unlimited budget. i might or might not have a solid-state preamp, but only the megabucks s/s contenders would work for me... it's *easy* to find a good toobed preamp that is every bit as accurate, detailed & dynamic as their s/s brethren, w/o being mushy.

doug s.

jeez, redkiwi - no winyl? how awful, seriously...

i get quite a musical sound from my electrocompaniet amps, but that doesn't mean i don't dream of a pair of big melos stereo tube amps! ;~)

regards, doug s.

good combos can come from all s/s, all toob, or a mix. peraonally, i lean towards a mix or all-toob. only one golden rule: the one w/the gold makes the rules! ;~)

doug s.