Tube Gear

dcarlson
dcarlson Posts: 1,740
edited November 2003 in 2 Channel Audio
To get started in Tube stuff, which is the way to go? Tube pre with a SS amp or Tube amp with an SS pre?

Just curious for now.
SDA-2a, Anthem Pre-2L, Anthem Amp 1, MF A324 DAC, Rotel RCD1070

Senn HD650 Cardas, Mapletree Audio Ear+ HD2, Kimber KS1030, Bel Canto DAC2, M-Audio Transit, Laptop.
Post edited by dcarlson on
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited November 2003
    ignoring the tube-tube option not offerred, i'd say ss pre - tube amp...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited November 2003
    I would go Tube Pre, SS Amp....well that's at least my direction. Do I know why? Nope, it just worked out that way.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • gidrah
    gidrah Posts: 3,049
    edited November 2003
    It depends on the speakers you are using. If I had the choice, I'd use a tube amp and passive SS pre.

    A tube preamp might ba able to warm up the sound a little, but a tube amp can add other sonic benefits also.
    Make it Funky! :)
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  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited November 2003
    I agree that it depends on your speakers. They have to be efficient enough to use with a tube amp. If they are then a tube amp is better for sure. A tube pre/SS amp sounds a little nicer than an all SS setup but does not compare to a system with a tube amp.

    madmax
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
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  • dcarlson
    dcarlson Posts: 1,740
    edited November 2003
    I've given it a little more thought. I think a tube amp would be the way to go for my setup. With my integrated, I can use the preouts on it, if I were to get a Tube pre it would defeat the purpose because I'd be using the pre in the MF as well.

    My speakers are the RT1000i.

    The reason I wouldn't do the Tube/tube option is simply cost. I absolutely love my integrated and it would be hard for me to part with it as well.

    It's all just forward thinking for now. ;)
    SDA-2a, Anthem Pre-2L, Anthem Amp 1, MF A324 DAC, Rotel RCD1070

    Senn HD650 Cardas, Mapletree Audio Ear+ HD2, Kimber KS1030, Bel Canto DAC2, M-Audio Transit, Laptop.
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited November 2003
    actually many would argue that any tube thought is backward thinking... :D
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited November 2003
    I expect to see tube gear in best buy and circuit city within the next 5 years.
    madmax
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
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  • 4_everyman
    4_everyman Posts: 50
    edited November 2003
    Originally posted by madmax
    I expect to see tube gear in best buy and circuit city within the next 5 years.
    madmax
    That's a mindblower. What's next? Will we see the return of tube testing machines in grocery stores? :D
    (Anybody else on this forum old enough to remember those?)
    Rgds,
    --pete
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited November 2003
    Originally posted by 4_everyman
    Anybody else on this forum old enough to remember those?
    I remember them in Lafayette Radio Electronics and Ohm Electronics there Sonny...

    BTW... they were very basic testers designed as much to sell new tubes as anything...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • organ
    organ Posts: 4,969
    edited November 2003
    Derick,
    Both ways should be fine. You'll still get some of that tube sound. But I bet you'll be going tubes all the way in the future:D. Which amp are you looking at right now?

    Maurice
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  • 4_everyman
    4_everyman Posts: 50
    edited November 2003
    Originally posted by Tour2ma
    BTW... they were very basic testers designed as much to sell new tubes as anything...
    Definitely. Besides, i don't think those in-store tube testers did much other than check the continuity of the filaments. Gee..listen to me. I sound like i know what i'm talking about. ;)
    Rgds,
    --pete
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  • dcarlson
    dcarlson Posts: 1,740
    edited November 2003
    No looking so much right now. Just thinking. Maybe in the new year, something cheap to start with. We'll see though, I do want to get some new speakers and a new Turntable too.
    SDA-2a, Anthem Pre-2L, Anthem Amp 1, MF A324 DAC, Rotel RCD1070

    Senn HD650 Cardas, Mapletree Audio Ear+ HD2, Kimber KS1030, Bel Canto DAC2, M-Audio Transit, Laptop.
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  • Wardsweb
    Wardsweb Posts: 936
    edited November 2003
    I vote for the tube amp to get "the sound". If you go SET, you really need efficient speakers though. Push-Pull and your options open up. I built a custom 2A3 SET for one of my systems.
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  • dcarlson
    dcarlson Posts: 1,740
    edited November 2003
    Looks like you've got some nice gear. Tubes all around, eh?
    SDA-2a, Anthem Pre-2L, Anthem Amp 1, MF A324 DAC, Rotel RCD1070

    Senn HD650 Cardas, Mapletree Audio Ear+ HD2, Kimber KS1030, Bel Canto DAC2, M-Audio Transit, Laptop.
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  • Wardsweb
    Wardsweb Posts: 936
    edited November 2003
    Actually, I've got a bit of everything for power. The Custom 2A3 SET, Bottlehead Paramour 2A3 SET, McIntosh MC240 push pull, HK A500 push pull, Marantz 2270 receiver, Yamaha CR640 receiver, Pioneer SX-3900 receiver, Carver A-760x, Carver A-500x, Carver TFM-35... and other assorted pieces.
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  • organ
    organ Posts: 4,969
    edited November 2003
    Very cool stuff Wordsweb! What do you have hooked up to the SET? How many wpc is it?

    Derick,
    You can bypass the pre stage on your int by setting the volume to the 12 o'clock position. You just have to find te position where the pre stage stops adding anymore gain. When I was gear swapping, I liked the tube pre/ss amp set up more. But it's different in every system so you never know until you try.
    Does your MF have an input that bypass the pre stage?

    A cheap pre to start off with is the ASL AQ-2004DT like mine. $299US from audioweb.com Russ purchased the Radii which is pretty much the same as mine but I don't know how much that pre is going for. The face plate of the Radii should match your MF better than the ASL

    Maurice
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited November 2003
    Maurice, I paid $265 I think....

    Pics here:
    http://clubpolk.polkaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12856&highlight=radii

    I couldn't be happier with the performance so far.

    Cheers,
    Rooster
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • Wardsweb
    Wardsweb Posts: 936
    edited November 2003
    saw this on Ebay and for $299 looks like a deal - trick look too.
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  • Wardsweb
    Wardsweb Posts: 936
    edited November 2003
    Dare SL-2000A
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