Tube vs Solid state for SDAs

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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited November 2010
    http://www.hifiaudio.cn/en/article.jsp?id=16



    Here's a good primer.
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited November 2010
    dpowell wrote: »
    Like these: http://cgi.ebay.com/Quad-vintage-Mullard-EL34-6CA7-Dynaco-xf3-NOS-matching-/330501179615?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item4cf367c8df

    :eek:

    He's dreaming at that price but $400-500 isn't out of the question for a nice used quad of Mullard made EL34's

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited November 2010
    Another of my resources

    http://www.tube-classics.de/TC/Tubes/Valvo%20ECC82/ECC82.htm
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited November 2010
    If it were me,,I'd spend the money on upgrading that Anthem,(caps/resistors--signal path and power supply),get some European input/splitter tubes,,and go with the Black Treasure 6CA7's,,just my .02---have fun.
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • dpowell
    dpowell Posts: 3,068
    edited November 2010
    George, caps/resistors I can certainly understand and I plan on doing them at some point. Can you fill me in on what you mean by signal path? Where would you source a new PS?
    ____________________________________________________________

    polkaudio Fully Modded SDA SRS 1.2TLs + Dreadnaught, LSiM706c, 4 X Polk Surrounds + 4 X ATMOS, SVS PB13 Ultra X 2, Pass Labs X1, Marantz 7704, Bob Carver Crimson Beauty 350 Tube Mono Blocks, Carver Sunfire Signature Cinema Grande 400x5, ADCOM GFA 7807, Panasonic UB420, Moon 380D DAC, EPSON Pro Cinema 6050
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  • dpowell
    dpowell Posts: 3,068
    edited November 2010
    heiney9 wrote: »
    http://www.hifiaudio.cn/en/article.jsp?id=16



    Here's a good primer.

    Thanks for the resources! I'll definitely take a look at them.
    ____________________________________________________________

    polkaudio Fully Modded SDA SRS 1.2TLs + Dreadnaught, LSiM706c, 4 X Polk Surrounds + 4 X ATMOS, SVS PB13 Ultra X 2, Pass Labs X1, Marantz 7704, Bob Carver Crimson Beauty 350 Tube Mono Blocks, Carver Sunfire Signature Cinema Grande 400x5, ADCOM GFA 7807, Panasonic UB420, Moon 380D DAC, EPSON Pro Cinema 6050
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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited November 2010
    dpowell wrote: »
    George, caps/resistors I can certainly understand and I plan on doing them at some point. Can you fill me in on what you mean by signal path? Where would you source a new PS?

    One of the biggest bang/buck upgrades on the amp are the caps located at the base or between the power tubes,,I replaced mine with PIO caps,,pretty easy actually.I would also look at the power supply in the amp too,,you may benefit from some newer electrolytics and/or bypass caps.I used to have a schematic,,I'll poke around for it,,I am just confident that if you replace the caps between the tubes,that you will hear an audible improvement.Good luck and have fun
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • phipiper10
    phipiper10 Posts: 955
    edited December 2010
    The OP may be interested in caps and tubes but changing equipment can yield at least as good results in some cases for the costs of upgrading tubes and caps. I'm just throwing out an alternative to "tweaking". I certainly concur that upgrading some of those original tubes would be a win.

    I haven't had the Anthem 1 but I did have the 9s for a brief time and the pre 2l (and pre 2l se which I really liked - on on trail get get another tubed pre very soon!).

    The OP's analysis is right on in regards to missing some detail. The 9s are slightly restrained and with (original) tubes in both upstream pieces you can certainly gain some by a move there.

    There are lots of options to retrieve more detail. Tubes and caps are a just a couple.

    Page one of this thread reads like a who's who at a tubes Anonymous meeting. Hi I'm Rich and I'm addicted to tubes and you should be addicted too. It's been 8 hours since my last listening session. Yesterday I just looked at my tubes and didn't even play any music!:smile:
    Analog Source: Rega P3-24 Exact 2 w/GT delrin platter & Neo TT-PSU Digital Source: Lumin T2 w/Roon (NUC) DAC: Denafrips Pontus II Phono Preamp: Rega Aria MK3 Preamp: Rogue RP-7 Amp: Pass X150.8 Speakers: Joseph Audio Perspective 2, Audio Physic Tempo Plus Cables: Morrow M4 ICs & Audio Art SC-5 ePlus, Shunyata PCs Misc: Shunyata Hydra Delta D6, VTI rack, GIK acoustic panels
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  • dpowell
    dpowell Posts: 3,068
    edited December 2010
    phipiper10 wrote: »
    Page one of this thread reads like a who's who at a tubes Anonymous meeting. Hi I'm Rich and I'm addicted to tubes and you should be addicted too. It's been 8 hours since my last listening session. Yesterday I just looked at my tubes and didn't even play any music!:smile:

    :biggrin: Well, tube addicts will take breaks from listening sessions whenever the word tube appears anywhere to distract them.

    Tube tube tube tube tube tube tube tube tube tube tube tube tube tube tube tube tube tube tube tube tube tube tube tube tube tube tube tube tube tube

    That ought to get some attention!.....
    ____________________________________________________________

    polkaudio Fully Modded SDA SRS 1.2TLs + Dreadnaught, LSiM706c, 4 X Polk Surrounds + 4 X ATMOS, SVS PB13 Ultra X 2, Pass Labs X1, Marantz 7704, Bob Carver Crimson Beauty 350 Tube Mono Blocks, Carver Sunfire Signature Cinema Grande 400x5, ADCOM GFA 7807, Panasonic UB420, Moon 380D DAC, EPSON Pro Cinema 6050
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  • dpowell
    dpowell Posts: 3,068
    edited December 2010
    Just bought a pair of Telefunken 12AU7's! Looking forward to yet another step in the right direction!

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rt=nc&nma=true&item=350419235419&si=b0dJIk6UMiz0%252Fip%252BepP9DrgB8UQ%253D&viewitem=
    ____________________________________________________________

    polkaudio Fully Modded SDA SRS 1.2TLs + Dreadnaught, LSiM706c, 4 X Polk Surrounds + 4 X ATMOS, SVS PB13 Ultra X 2, Pass Labs X1, Marantz 7704, Bob Carver Crimson Beauty 350 Tube Mono Blocks, Carver Sunfire Signature Cinema Grande 400x5, ADCOM GFA 7807, Panasonic UB420, Moon 380D DAC, EPSON Pro Cinema 6050
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