SS / Tube Preamp | SS / Tube Amp ?

janmike

Hi Folks,

As some of you know I am slowly but surely putting this 2CH rig together. To date I have purchased a pair of Proac Response 2.5's and a Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista 21 DAC. The Tri-Vista I will have to review for all.

The next phase of this will be the amp and preamp. I am hearing a lot of different opinions outside of this forum with regards to the SS or Tube configuration. A couple of people have told me that if I were to go tube on the amp side while already having tube on the DAC I may miss some of the punch. Their recommendation would be to go tube on the preamp and SS on the amp.

I am really new to tube and as many of you know listening to a demo in Yellowknife is not possible. Hey, I only get so many business trips per year. So I am asking for your knowledge.

I have read quite a few reports that indicate that tube on the amp side (namely Cary 805C) is a good combination with the 2.5's. If you add the $ up for the 805's and a Simaudio P5 (another suggestion) preamp, we are not talking chump change here. My rationale is that I really only want to do this once.

I would like the opinions of some of you people who have the experience and knowledge of both sides, ie., tube and SS. Names like Cary, Krell, Levinson, and Classe are ones that I have thought about for this rig and at this point I am on a research quest. I know that I will hopefully have the chance to hear more at PF in October in Georgia, but I would like to start the research early. Brand names are welcome. Cables are another issue for sure.

Since I have joined this forum you folks have provided me with a list of invaluable knowledge. I thank you for that and in advance for this additional contribution. Thanks everyone.

madmax

janmike wrote:

A couple of people have told me that if I were to go tube on the amp side while already having tube on the DAC I may miss some of the punch. Their recommendation would be to go tube on the preamp and SS on the amp.

In my opinion the only reason to go with SS on the amp is if you need more power for the speakers than you can afford with tubes. With that said, it is possible to get a whole series of tubes in line which each soften up the signal and leave you with no punch at the end. This is only a possibility and can happen if your system doesn't synergize. It is not the norm. Of course you could get a SS amp which does not synergize and that would cause problems too...
madmax

Ricardo

Right now I am running:

Bada Tube CD player
Audio Research tube pre
Pair of TAD-60 tube amps bi-amped

Believe me, there IS punch; lots of it. The only thing I am missing from not having SS amps is that I know down the road the tubes will need to be changed

By saying this I don't mean tubes is the only/best thing; I am waiting for my SS Belles to come back from the shop and if what I've heard about it is 1/2 true, I will probably stick with it.

Early B.

janmike wrote:

My rationale is that I really only want to do this once.

First, the idea that tubes generally lack punch is ****. Just like SS, it depends on lots of factors.

Second, forget about "doing it once." If you're going to dive into the world of tubes, expect to experiment with lots of gear. It takes time to learn what you like and what combinations of tube & SS gear work well for you. Brands don't mean much, either. Many highly regarded brands use cheap parts.

My general advice for anyone is to look for audio components that are well made. To do so, you have to take some time to learn about capacitors, inductors, transformers, cables, volume pots, driver materials, bracing, etc.

madmax

HTrookie wrote:

The only thing I am missing from not having SS amps is that I know down the road the tubes will need to be changed

At least you will be able to change them yourself AND upgrade at the same time.
madmax

candyliquor35m

I have no experience mixing SS and tube equipment but with my tube equipment I have able to change the tubes in my pre and cdp to meet my desired sound. Whether this will hold true for a SS amp, I don't know.

Midnite Mick

One possible approach may be to investigate the sonics of the possible tubes that your gear will use. Since tube changes can change the sound significantly, look for gear that will run the tubes that may sound like what you are looking for. I know that this is not the total answer in how something will sound but it may be a place to initiate the investigation. However, the local tube heads could help you out a lot more than me. Just my thoughts, FWIW anyway.

Personally, I don't feel that my all tube setup lacks punch or clarity at all.

Good luck,
Mike