Better get crackin- those tubes aren't going to buy themselves. |
Quote "The best thing about a tube amp is that you get to buy all sorts of interesting tubes for it over the years, you seem smarter and better looking"
Wolf, PLEASE BUY SOME MORE TUBES... |
Its true. One's relationship with their tube amp has ample opportunity to grow. They are relatively needy compared to SS amps that for the most part just sit there and continue to do their thing, FBOFW. :^) |
The best thing about a tube amp is that you get to buy all sorts of interesting tubes for it over the years which results in you becoming a partner in its performance, you seem smarter and better looking, and are happy forever no matter what. These are facts...if you buy tubes for a solid state amp they just sit there and get all dusty and sad...to sum up: Be happy forever or dusty and sad. It's your choice. |
Problem with a tube amp, for a retired HS teacher anyway, is over time you spend more money on tubes than the amp cost. That might take a few years or decades depending on the amp. |
Problem with a tube amp, for a retired HS teacher anyway, is over time you spend more money on tubes than the amp cost. |
B&W Diamond speakers have a warm sound already. You probably don't need to enhance the warmness with a tube amp.
Big B&W speakers prefer large high current solid state amp to control the bass and put it in order.
This is just a general understanding but individual taste does dictate choices. |
The problem with mixing a ss pre and tubed amp is input/output impedance... if you find a ratio that works, it is fine... next, over all a tubed amp add much more of the "tube experience" than a tubed pre. If you are after more of the warm tube experience, you would most likely enjoy this combination. |
I thought my philosophy of using a SS preamp with a tube amp was described adequately, but maybe not, so I shall ramble further. There are tube preamps that appeal to me but the balanced dual mono preamp I'm using (Kavent S33) is so good I don't think about it much...my tube power amp simply has a very pleasing 2nd order harmonic slam factor that many SS amps don't have, resulting, for my tastes anyway, in a more involving sound than SS. A preamp's signal is generally at such a low level it should be clean regardless if it's SS or tube so any form of distortion shoudn't be a factor, but the complicated interaction of an amp with speakers is another story and tubes are just more appealing to me. Note how many tubeless SS amps say "tube like" in their hype. I also have tubes in my motorcycle tires due to spoked wheels, and they sound better also. |
Yes Yogiboy - the AMC CVT3030 is an EL34 output section with a mosfet preamp section...pretty nice int amp.
I 2nd the other who prefer a tube preamp and SS amp. I ran a couple of B&K amps (ST-140 & EX442 Sonata) with a tube preamp (Music Reference RM5mkII) for many years and it was superb. Those B&K's are some of the tubiest sounding SS amps around and a great value for the money. I like the earlier stuff from B&K, nothing after the Sonata though...
Besides the AMC CVT3030, I really haven't heard a SS pre/tube amp combo; however, I suppose if you have a very lushious sweet tube amp, a SS preamp might tame it a bit....
But for me, if I had a tube amp, I'd would just mate it with a tube preamp - as I had previously for many years...for me - tubes rule and always will. |
Has anyone seen an integrated amp that the preamp section is
SS and the amp is tubes(I haven't)?
IMHO a tube preamp is the way to go if you don't want tubes
in both amp and preamp. |
I respectfully disagree...well not THAT respectfully...in any case, I use a SS preamp with a tube power amp simply because I want the cleanest and most accurate possible signal going to my Greasefest Overdrive Special power amp where it's electrons are blasted about by various cathodes and anodes before eventually reaching my fat head in the form of happy little music blobs. Hmmmm, wouldn't the same philosophy apply to not having tubes in the amp? If you want the cleanest and most accurate possible signal, then why not an SS amp as well? My own experience is that I can get far more 3D performance with a high performance tube preamp than with the tube amp which for me comes later as such works best with my Electrostatic speakers. And the result with that preamp alone gives me far more accurate results than any number of highly rated/awarded SS preamps that I have tried. |
I respectfully disagree...well not THAT respectfully...in any case, I use a SS preamp with a tube power amp simply because I want the cleanest and most accurate possible signal going to my Greasefest Overdrive Special power amp where it's electrons are blasted about by various cathodes and anodes before eventually reaching my fat head in the form of happy little music blobs. Works for me, and makes plenty of sense. That little signal shouldn't have any "tube tone" anyway as it's not overdriven or expected to be tainted by tubiness to trickle tawdry tone transference toward the tuneful transponders. Besides, I don't currently want to have to tube roll another pile of Mullard/Psvane/Phillips/NOS/nonstock/woodstock glass unless I really have to. |
Agreed with Joekapahulu. Since the pre is the heart of your system and generates the signal that will ultimately be reproduced by your speakers, having a tube pre makes more sense. |
Most people do it the other way around a tube pre with a ss power amp. That way you get the warmth from the tubes but still have the bottom end grunt of a ss power amp. I have one system setup that way and it works very well for me. I have never even thought of going the other way.... |
Why would you want to do a horrible thing like that? got a cheap one lined up?
Almost joking here. |
there are many combinations that can work well. Warm meaning??? Reducing noise can provide a warm sound, Conrad Johnson preamps and amps can provide a warm sound, some SS mosfet amps can produce a warm sound. You need to try combinations for yourself. |
