2. amps-preamps
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Why some preamps does not play music? Cold?

I mean technically/electronically wise, why some preamps while been very revealing and very good in reproduction of frequencies and extensions, are at the same time not engaging musically and emotionally and even boring? Are there a solutions to fix that (except for changing preamp)?
dvavc
dvavc OP
81 posts
 
georgelofi, I thought we are all in understanding that "NO PREAMP RECOMMENDATION" on this thread. Moreover, if you read my responses you will learn that I already have 5 preamps, all of them are active, SS and tubes, but only one of them(tube) causing the issue which I’m trying to resolve here. This thread is not about "the best preamp". Moreover, been 20 years in this hobby I tried for a zillion times "strait wire" source to amp, as it was suggested here by many for many times, to be the best way. Guess what, i can’t stay that sound for more then 5minutes, because that sound is total chaos and mass, "all over", unbalanced and causes fatigue (in my ears at least) in 3 minutes. Once again, here, I’m trying to get an answer whether i can illuminate very specific issue in my otherwise favorite preamp.
Thank you again for understanding.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,577 posts
 
However, it is 6sn7GTB therefore not to much choice to play with, unless try not GTB but that, as i understand, not recommended
There are plenty of 6SN7 types out there, and in a preamp I would expect that a GT, GTA or GTB could be used. You might want to check with the manufacturer on that. The big difference with the suffixes is how much voltage the tube can handle.

6SN7s, FWIW, are an excellent tube (the only bad ones being the modern Russian types) and so I would not expect that tube to be the issue, unless its microphonic or something like that.
dvavc OP
81 posts
 
atmasfere: as a matter of fact, those Sylvania which i have currently installed are extremely microphonic. Are you suggesting it might cause the issue i'm talking about?
bombaywalla's avatar
bombaywalla
1,958 posts
 
atmasfere: as a matter of fact, those Sylvania which i have currently installed are extremely microphonic. Are you suggesting it might cause the issue i'm talking about?
yes! That very well could be your issue.
Once I had a pair of 7308 tubes that were very microphonic & swapping them with a pair of non-microphonic 6922 made the sonics much better. While they lasted the Amperex 7308 very really superb. 

georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
I don’t agree with you that a passive pre is the proverbial "straight piece of wire".


I didn’t say it was, but it is closer than any active preamp can get. The only way to get closer is to go direct to poweramp with a source with one that has a digital domain volume control. But this way you have to use the digital domain volume control at or above 75% of full output,. If you don’t you start to what’s called "bit strip" that is loosing resolution from EG: 16bit to 14bit to 12bit. the lower you go below 75% of full volumme


Cheers George

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