#11
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I like my tube pre and solid state amp as well.
The maintenance of tube amps is not something that excites me. Perhaps someday I’ll give it a shot, but for now, I prefer the easy path to tubes with it as the preamp.
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#12
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Having had solid state systems for nearly fifty years of listening, I bought my first tube amp earlier this year. I really think a lot depends on subjective preferences. But, although there are some things SS generally does better, I have to say, for pure musical pleasure of just listening to the music and being happy, *I LOVE TUBES*. (Line Magnetic 34 integrated, 12AX7, 12AU7 pair, 4 EL34s, and a quad of KT77's on the way.)
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#13
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Thank you for the beautifully expressed sentiment in the first post. I'm sure you agree that the OP will not really go back to SS in the Summer On the second quote--this is interesting to me. I bought my tubes when I fell in love with the sound and feeling, but assumed I was paying a premium price versus a comparable SS. It had not occurred to me that a budget tube amp was possible.
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Clearaudio Ovation with Tracer Dynavector KARAT 17DX Naim Uniti Core Schiit Yggdrasil McIntosh C22/MC275 Wilson TuneTots B&W DB3D Nordost QKore/QBase/Frey 2 Transparent Super IsoAcoustics GAIA II Stax SR-009S with SRM-700T |
#14
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#15
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I gravitated to tube preamps for my main system and for office and my headphone systems. But stayed away from tubed amps because I liked speakers requiring very high current and I really like high reliability and not having to play with my equipment to keeping it working correctly (biasing). As soon as I saw the new Audio Research 160m a couple years ago I knew finally it was time. No biasing and longer tube life. I am really happy I finally got there, my system sounds better by large measure than ever before.
Also I still remember the wonderful warm sound of music coming out of the tube mono console radio that was in my bedroom in the mid ‘60s. I would have to turn it down to a whisper so my parents could not hear that I was still awake. The sound was so wonderfully warm and musical. Never forgot it. I am guessing it was built in the ‘50s.
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George Main: Aurender W20SE music streamer, ARC REF 9SE DAC / CD, Linn LP 12, Koetsu Rosewood SignCartrige, ARC REF 3 Phono Stage, ARC REF 6SE Preamp, ARC 160s amp, Sonus Faber Amati Traditional Speakers,Transparent Ultra IC & SC Library:Aurender N100, Ayre QB9 2020 DAC, Woo WA5-LE amp upgraded tubes, Focal Utopia HP, Sennheiser 800s HP, LCD HP. |
#16
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That said I agree that budget tube gear generally blows away budget SS gear. George |
#17
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What's a state of the art tube amp? Price wise the AudioNote/Kondo at over $200k for a very limited amp is perhaps state of the art and with appropriate speakers, I would imagine it does sound magical. There are monstrous tube amps as well, for various purposes and large speakers like the VTL Siegfried monos. Tetrode: 650W, Triode 330W. Hard to say, at the end of the day it still boils down to personal preference and the presentation that connects better with your ears. There is no standard or frame of reference or a universal gauge of what is right, what is wrong. Just our ears and the music. |
#18
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I've heard 2 x 6 W tube integrated amps that sounded magical with very sensitive speakers.
You don't need monster amps to get great sound. I wouldn't say no to a full reference solid state MBL set though.
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#19
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Bart, even better, one of each for the different rooms and still having a dozen more rooms for future systems as the inspiration comes. Oh and a butler to serve tea or something a bit stronger while listening.
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#20
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Soliloquy 5.0, no doubt. Very easy to drive. I used with a McIntosh MA6100 back in the previous century and was a good match, as they were with tubes. Soliloquy started out as the speaker arm of Cary before it was moved out on its own (for whatever reason). A very nice sound.
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