.....and are they better than solid state CD Players? I have had a few players. Rega Apollo, NAD 542, and a Cambridge Audio (actually a DVD Player). I loved the Apollo, but thought I wanted to go to a complete Computer Audio system so I sold it. Now I am contemplating buying another player. I hear the tube sound is so warm and non-digital sounding, which is why I bought the Apollo, well that and the look of it. So, should I go tubes this time? I was looking at that Raysonic 128 and the Shanling and maybe even the Consonance Droplet
I recall reading a post, i may have asked the quation, where he said he'd walk with the Cayin 17 and leave the Droplet. Just an opinion. The Droplet 's disadvatage is as Tvad points out. The Cayin offers a quad of 6922's, which I replaced with RCA grey plates NOS. Nice.
Tubes are actually much more ideal for voltage amplification, such as small-signal in a DAC or CDP. Transistors are better at current amplification. The main disadvantage of tubes is the high-voltage and the high output impedance, along with the obvious wear-out factor. Fets can compete with tubes, except that they have temperature sensitivity. If you could keep them extremely cool always, FET's would be king I think.
The high-voltage for tubes must be dealt with using transformers or coupling capacitors. With the advent of the Sonicap Platinum and the V-cap Teflons it is possible to get excellent low-disortion results from good tubes, such as the 12AU7 6922 or cca's. When the power systems and capacitors are well-designed, you have the punch and extension that you get with transistor outputs combined with the smoothness, imaging and detail of good tubes.
Not all designs deliver this however. It's like asking if transistor amps are better than tube amps. Depends on the design and parts choices. There is more to design than just the circuit design and whether it uses tubes, transistors or FET's.
And, I do agree most emphatically with you; I don't consider the 6H30 as nearly an attractive option than a tube you can roll - 12AX7, 12AU7, 6922, etc. Just about impossible for me to believe a Russian tube can compete with most of what was produced yesterday - or, even today.
I have had a number of CDP over the last two or three years. Started with an Electrocompaniet, then went to a Wadia 861, then to a Audio Aero Capitole mk2 and I just bought an Einstein-The Last Record Player, CDP--which, like the Capitole uses tubes, but not the mini's. It uses 6922's. For me, the odd man out so to speak was the Wadia--in my system it had a lot of glare. The Electrocompaniet was very nice, smooth yet detailed. The Capitole did everything well and the new player is really a nice unit. Like the Capitole in gets you involved, very detailed but no edge. what I really noticed is this player seems to be able to put all the instuments in the correct place. I have played around with the tubes a little and you can notice the difference different tubes can make in the way this player makes music. I really like that you can fine tune the player to suit your music and your system.
An MHZS CD66 player weighs over 30#, has two 12AX7 tubes w/ LED status indicators and a window to see them without pulling the cover, balanced outputs, upsampling on the solid metal remote, and is a top loader to boot. I'm not sure how the tubes affect the output but the whole package makes for one musically satisfying experience. I found mine for less than the dac mentioned above, and have a few dollars left over for tube-rolling, although I'm not really tempted to do so yet as teh stock tubes play just fine for now. Nice to have the option down the road.
The quality of the analog output stage ultimately matters alot, but there are aurally successful designs from both camps in your better players. Ultimately your ears will decide, and try to listen with an open mind. Not all tube gears imparts tubiness, and the same applies for solid state. For example, the McCormack UDP-1 initally fooled me into thinking a tube was in there somewhere. You may want to add that one to your list.
it will be hard to beat that sound at that pricepoint. The Consonance is 3K although a new one is on here right now at 2200. I have to admit, it is the look of the Raysonic and the Consonance that first got my attention.
Many tube players use a tube buffer stage similar to simply adding a Musical Fidelity "Tube Buffer" to an existing Solid State player at much less cost.
Of the ones you mentioned I prefer the Apollo. Tubes, properyly implemented, can help digital. Having tubes doesn't make it automatically better than a solidstate player. You have to listen.
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