My System......

audiobliss

Alright, I'm not exactly sure what I want to do next. Right now, I have an audio system for my Jeep lined-up on a wish list for Christmas, so it'll be a few months before I can actually buy anything else. How can I, with no income, get something else before next Christmas, you ask? Well, Mom brought home an application for Chik-Fil-A.......'pears I'm gettin' a job somewhere....

Anyhoo, the next thing I want to upgrade is my source. I've done a little bit of research on this and have a few ideas, but I'll post a thread about this later in the 'Electronics' forum.

My main question here is about my system as a whole. Later on down the road, I'll be interested in an amp, as my other thread implies. Obviously, tubes go very well with efficient speakers - Klipsch: my speakers. So, I'm interested in the effects of adding tubes to a system. I've heard that having an all tube system (i.e. tube pre, tube amp, tube CD player, etc.) is not what you want. However, how much tube equipment is 'ideal'? Should I look into tube amps for my next amp? Or should I grab a solid state and maybe get a tube pre later down the road? I'm pretty sure I don't want a tube source right now as they are very expensive, only play CDs, and would only affect the sound of CDs (which, admittedly, will be about all I'll listen to).

So, what kind of a system should I be shooting for? How many pieces of tube equipment? What type of equipment?

If I go with a tube amp, the ASL Wave AV-25's caught my eye in Audio Advisor's mag (page 45). 25 watts of amplification, so it might be able to power a more demanding speaker I might get later down the road. Plus, a pair (they're mono-blocks) would only be $700. That's cheaper than an integrated, and I could use my RX-V1400 as a preamp. However, I have been encouraged to go with an integrated tube amp. What would be the benefits of doing that? As I see it, I'd be getting more oomph and more channel separation at a lower price with the Wave AV-25's.

Is there anywhere I can hear tube equipment?! I don't know of any audio stores around here that carry tube equipment, so I've yet to hear anything with tubes. Also, that means I have no idea where to get any.


So, I just really need some advice on where to go next with my system, I guess. Though, I really don't have a lot of money to plunk down on this, so I won't be going all out quite yet, lol. I just want to improve on it. (Though, like I've said before, the ONLY thing I don't like about my system is my source.)

Any and all suggestions/advice/comments would be greatly appreciated!!!

MacLeod

From CA, I dont like tubes much at all. Too many reliability and distortion issues.

But as Im learning, CA and HA are two different animals.

dmalino

The hi-fi dealers I've talked to have always said to start with a tube preamp. They said it was the best way into the tube "sound".
Some manufacturers of tube equipment;
Audio Research
Conrad Johnson
VTL
Cary
Jolida

There's usually contact numbers or dealer info on the website.

Used equipment is a good way to go also. Tube stuff tends to be very sturdy and babied. Check Audiogon

audiobliss

Edit: Hey, guys; I just noticed that this has only been up for 24 hours. I apologize for gettin' out o' shape like this. I guess I've been bored the last few days and have been visiting the forum frequently; I honestly thought I had posted it 3 days ago. My bad there. I'm not going to delete what I said, but I don't mean it anymore, lol.

Sorry, folks.

Alright; I know that I made quite a long post; I know that I asked a lot that, ideally, requires a pretty long, in depth reply; I know that I haven't done much with audio equipment here lately; I know that I haven't contributed much to this forum lately (or maybe ever); however, I just don't understand how out of all the extremely knowldgeable, very kind & helpful forum members on here who have had so much experience with tubes and have so much more knowledge about this, have not posted! Now, maybe I am jumping up and down way too much way too soon, but come on; two posts?! I'm just not quite understanding something here. Is it in the wrong forum? I figured this was the best-fitting place for it.

Someone clue me in, here. Have I said something? Have I made too many off-topic posts here lately? Am I not progressing fast enough in this journey of audio? Or, am I just jumping up and down because information wasn't set in my lap immediately?

What gives?

Peace.

VR3

A quote from the Grinch...

"IS IT BECAUSE I'M GREEN??"

PM Organ, he owns a similar system to you...

organ

Forget the ASL. Get the Jolida int with EL34 tubes. EL34 tubes are known for their romantic sound and smoothness. It's the most popular tube for both guitar and hifi equipments. There are plenty of companies producing these tubes today and their quality is just amazing. Get some Electro Harmonix EL34EH or JJ E34L and your RF-35 will scream with joy. Those are my favorite brands right now. It's harder to enjoy the tube sound if you get a tube amp and use your receiver as a pre. You'll get tube sound but it will be amplifying your receiver's sound signature at the same time. That's why I recommend a tube int unless you can get a tube pre and amp. Your horns deserve good tubes. You will hear a completely different animal when you power them with tubes. I've been running a NAD SS pre for a while now since my ASL tube pre broke down. I've got a tube pre coming next week and I'm dying to hear it.

Maurice

organ

Originally posted by audiobliss
I've heard that having an all tube system (i.e. tube pre, tube amp, tube CD player, etc.) is not what you want.

NOT TRUE. IME, things improve with more tubes in the audio chain. The hardcore tube heads use a tube phono stage, tube pre and a tube amp.

Maurice

Story Teller

I'd disagree. If you've got the money and the attitude, go with tubes (and analog sound in general) - otherwise go solid state. The benefits or disavantanges of one versus the other are questionable but are truly debatable only at an audiophile level. For normal purposes, there is no avantage and a considerable increase in cost and limited selection if you go tubular.

TroyD

Talk about dredging up a dead thread!

Disagree, good engineering in any form isn't inherently more expensive than poor engineering. There is a lot of good, inexpensive tube gear out there.

BDT

madmax

If having too many tubes causes problems then some of the equipment is not designed properly or does not synergize.

audiobliss

Wow. Took me a minute to remember this thread. This is old. But hey, at least I got a few more responses!

tonyb

I'll go along with the tube pre- amp first if you want to jump in the tube camp.However,can get costly down the road when you start adding a tube amp and DAC.Tube rolling,biasing,time consuming.Stick with the pre-amp,lots
of good ones on the used market.Hell,I'm interested in the Chik fil-a's, can you send me some? The wife loves 'em.:)