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Tube Preamp with Solid State Amp?

Greetings!

I’ve seen some folks using Tube Preamps with Solid State Am ps. I’m thinking of doing that with my system as part of an incremental change. I currently have a Parasound P5 preamp with a Parasound A21 driving Klipsch Cornwall 4’s. Will a decent / good Tube Preamp really make a difference in my sound? I enjoy what I have now but really want to experience Tubes in my system. Thanks!
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oldhvymec
5,101 posts
 
Tube Preamp and SS power amps. Really the best of both worlds.

A tube preamp, Tube and SS power amps for Bi amping even better.

A lower wattage tube power amp, for the mids and tweets, and 
class ds, AB (crown) (something quiet but powerful) power amp for the bass sections. They can be bi amped? if not easy to fix that too..

You'll be shi%#ng in tall cotton ( southern term)

All pretty inexpensive, but you can start with the Pre,,, then a little valve amp later those Cornwalls  will love you for it. TOP notch sound..

Choose a good Preamp...... Tone control with horns....... Macs and horns are made for each other... If someone tells you otherwise about TC... Use your own good judgment, and what your running.

Happy hunting..

Regards

fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,496 posts
 
Yes.
mitch4t's avatar
mitch4t
1,602 posts
 
I've run a tube preamp with solid state amps for 15 years.  I have to have tubes somewhere in my system.
bassdude
455 posts
 
Don’t know about the AR Ref 2 with Pass amps, but I’m pairing the AR Ref 3 and AR Ref 5SE with Parasound Halo A21 and JC2 monoblocks with incredible results - hard to believe. Just incredible clarity, detail, resolution, imaging and soundstage with superb tone, tenor, texture and bass control - a very holographic, live sound.

I’ve been surprised by this combination - though, I suppose some of the credit must go to the Bryston BDP-3 & Schitt Yggdrasil DAC, which sound superb, even without the AR tube line stage - but, the tube line stage improved upon that combo even a great deal more. And... with either the Harbeth 30.1’s with Townshend Super-Tweeters, or Linkwitz Orion’s - to the point, that I doubt I could improve upon the sound a lot more. I’ve also been surprised that this combo has really awakened the 30.1’s, which initially hadn’t impressed me, but now have much better highs, resolution, and bass control with the Harbeth rich, organic sound.

oldschool1948's avatar
oldschool1948
488 posts
 
I started building a listening room about 18 months ago.  I bought a NAD M12 pre/dac and NAD M22v2.  With my Tannoy DC8Ti speakers, the highs were too bright, the mids were too loud, the bass was just right.  I purchased a used Herron VTSP-3A tube pre amp and Audio Mirror Tubadour III SE DAC.  The sound is much more musical, with no loss of detail.   

Both the Herron pre amp and NAD power amp have gain controls.  After much futzing with both, and moving the speakers and my listening position, I found the Heron on low gain and NAD on mid gain gives me the best sound, with my speakers about 2.5' from the side walls and 3' from the front wall with a slight toe-in. 

The M22v2 is very nice sounding class D amp.   The Herron/NAD combination is working for now.
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