Any Audio Research PH 8 Owners Out There?

[TOGA]

I delete PH8 out of equation now.
And trying Accuphase C27 at the moment. Really really good. Now I asking to myself, should I still try Ref2Se ???
Toga

[Number95]

Originally Posted by TOGA

I delete PH8 out of equation now.
And trying Accuphase C27 at the moment. Really really good. Now I asking to myself, should I still try Ref2Se ???
Toga

Answer is yes.

[analog brother]

yes. you should definitely try.
borrow one from dealer.
even with rca output, gain is 68db, which is plenty.

[TOGA]

Ah no.. Another six more tubes.
Actually overall gain of 60dB should be fine for me. 70 is way too high I think.
I must use low gain in case of using Ref2Se xLR .

I should stop talking about other phono stage in this PH8 post.
Thanks for all suggestions, I sure will try 2SE.

Toga

[MPS]

Originally Posted by TOGA

I delete PH8 out of equation now.
And trying Accuphase C27 at the moment. Really really good. Now I asking to myself, should I still try Ref2Se ???
Toga

Accuphase is supposed to be one of the very best, interested to know how it compares to REF2SE.

[TOGA]

Originally Posted by MPS

Accuphase is supposed to be one of the very best, interested to know how it compares to REF2SE.

No matter how much I believe how good 8Ph/2SE will sound. At this moment, I don't want to deal with tube in phono stage.
By the way, in case of tube rush, is that rush noise in 2SE be amplified 70dB before sending to destroy speakers ?
Is this self destruction possible for tube based pre phono ?

Toga

[MPS]

The first stage amplification is with FETs, so REF2 is a hybrid stage. Tubes are in the second stage and output. If a tube has a failure it is not amplified through whole chain. Signal gain from RIAA to speaker will be that of pre + power amplifier.
Never had a tube fail in source component or pre amplifier in such a way that it would have caused any further damage.

[Number95]

Originally Posted by MPS

The first stage amplification is with FETs, so REF2 is a hybrid stage. Tubes are in the second stage and output. If a tube has a failure it is not amplified through whole chain. Signal gain from RIAA to speaker will be that of pre + power amplifier.
Never had a tube fail in source component or pre amplifier in such a way that it would have caused any further damage.

2 days ago, one of my 610T mono amps had a tube failure which also took away 2 resistors and some part of signal path to be renewed while amps were on. Even after that, nothing is wrong with the speakers.

[MPS]

Yes, in power amplifiers that can happen. I have replaced burned resistors, transistor and even one regulator. Never had to do such in source or pre.

[analog brother]

agreed. always happens in power amp ( touching huge piece of wood)
pre's and sources you can hear the degrading coming on and you just replace the tubes in due time.