What Solid State PreAmp?

Dave,

Your Woo unit is a nice lil headphone amp but it is NOWHERE NOWHERE NEAR even a "good" tube pre. I had one too and used it as a linestage occasionally so I know.

Defining/deciding what tubes are "accurate" is no different than answering the same question for transistors, op-amps, resistors, capacitors, etc.

Paulfobrecht said:

"...Defining/deciding what tubes are "accurate" is no different than answering the same question for transistors, op-amps, resistors, capacitors, etc...."

Agreed, but why then do people think it's an advantage to tube roll. I want my designer to use his decades of knowledge and pick the right parts for me and not have to worry about those part burning out and becoming unreplaceable.

My point is that tube rolling is NOT an advantage of tubes.

Dave

Dcstep,

Manufacturers pick the tubes they put into new equipment based primarily on practical considerations -- cost, reliability of continued supply (meaning new, not vintage stock), and reasonably good sound.

But, there is no way for a manufacturer to know what sound any particular customer would favor based on that customer's taste and complement of other equipment. Given differences in taste/need, it does not make sense for a manufacturer to spend a LOT of money on NOS tubes that may actually sound worse to a particular customer.

There is no consensus on what is "better," that is why the ability to make changes to the sound by the relatively simple act of changing tubes is a good thing.

06-10-08: Larryi said:

"Manufacturers pick the tubes they put into new equipment based primarily on practical considerations -- cost, reliability of continued supply (meaning new, not vintage stock), and reasonably good sound...."

If I spent $10,000 on, say, an ARC Ref 3, I would expect the tubes to not be compromises, just like if I paid $18,000 for a Rowland Critereon, I'd expect Jeff to use the very best components.

How am I going to know more about tube selection than ARC??? It's their life's work, it's only a hobby to me. In many fields, I pay experts to make decisions for me when I don't have the time, inclination or knowledge to do it myself.

I don't want "reasonbly sound" from ARC or C-J, I want the best the designers know how to give me at a price point.

Once again, my point is, tube rolling capacity is NOT an advantage of tubes over SS, IMHO.

Dave

Dcstep,

What is the "best"? You seem to think that there is one objective best and that the manufacturer, particularly of something expensive, should incorporate that in the gear. Perhaps the designer of cost is no object gear used tubes that meet your "best the designers know how to deliver" criteria, it still may be possible for a particular customer to better satisfy his own personal taste or better match the component with his particular system by making alternative choices. That is the reason for tube rolling.

Personally, I would not be spending big bucks on gear if I could not hear the difference and had to "pay experts" to make the choice. This is particularly the case for me because I hardly ever agree with the so called experts (e.g., reviewers).