Biamping, bass and amplifier type.


I am new to the idea of tube amplification, but not new to the audio hobby (or obsession, depending on your point of view).
My question is, if tubes provide decidedly better treble and mid reproduction and a better image and soundstage, and if solid state provides better bass extension and response, why not use biampable speakers with solid state wired to bass and tube wired to high/mids?
OR
Tube amp for high/mid satellites and a SS sub?
Wouldn't this provide 'the best of both worlds?'
I look forward to your responses.
This is important to me as my amp of the last 25 years just died and I am venturing into a new system.
rhanechak

Showing 2 responses by walkertm

Yes it would, the drawback is cost. If you go with an tube amp ss combo you have to divide the amount of money you have between them. Most folks I think choose one or the other and so they can put more money into one higher quality amplifier.

As far as Biamping goes....
I used to use VTL MB-450s for the top and BAT VK500 for the bottom. The result was most satisfying. However overtime the constant maintenance of the MB-450 became a bother. I also moved to a speaker that is not designed to be biamped. Made a very hard decision, and sold the VTLs off and now just run my system with the VK-500. I wish I could have put the VTLs on these speakers too, but as far amplification goes I have 90% of the sound quality I had before without the headaches.

However if you can afford it and are willing to care and feed your tube amps regularly it is the way to go.
Valid points are made here, I do not disagree with them. However I am coming from a place of personal experience in a real world system that I owned.

The difference in the gain was not audible to me. Never thought to pay any attention to it though, that being said, it never called attention to itself enough so that I felt I needed to. I simply found it worked for me and enjoyed this setup for many years.

As far as bass quality, the BAT S.S. product was deeper tighter and had more slam than the VTL even when it was run in Tetrode. The other benefit that may be worthy to note is the BAT VK-500 could handle the demands of my speakers on bass heavy material much better. Both are high current designs that can drive almost any speaker but the when the peaks hit... the VTLs would blow fuses. When I set the BAT up to run the bottom end the fast blow on the MB450's stopped popping for no apparent reason.

For the what it is worth department. I am of the camp that does not particularly see any real advantage of tube vs solid state offerings. So my input does need to be taken with a grain of salt if your are a tube guy.

I have had both, absolutely loved both for their strengths and weaknesses. My experience has been, a well voiced and engineered product in either camp is enjoyable. For me it is more of the interpretation of the music that the component does vs one technology being superior to the other. Much like different conductors will not interpret the same symphonic work the same way, each bringing various nuances out of it that the other does not see. I would be hard pressed to say that Karajan's conducting is more musical than Dorati's.