Confusion reigns - tube amp,ss amp, integrated..??

I've ditched HT, and spent my money on fewer, higher quality two channel components. You can still run your DVD player thru a high quality 2 channel system and have nice results. With a high quality 2 channel system, you won't have to worry as many bells and whistles, and can sink your money into fewer, but higher quality components.

I am indeed considering getting rid of my rear speakers, and possibly my center, but still would like the sub for movies. Quite a few people have mentioned that just running the front speakers for HT works very well indeed. After all, I don't have a dedicated HT room, so my system's surround sound impact is already compromised!

I haven't seen many tube amps that have a DVD input, however. What are you using, Pdreher?

Holly

Hi Holly,

Let me try to help you through this mess. One - you cannot believe the magazines, reviews - etc- they are all tainted by manufacturers advertising money. Everyone has their opinions and their preferences.

Let your ears and the sound of live instruments govern your choices. I used to work for a major mid to hi end dealer some twenty years ago and love this hobby. I have had many components that I have experimented with in and out of my home, in particular - a variety of power amps and speakers. I have owned many components. I hope what I tell you will save you lots of time, trouble and dollars and maybe some of the other readers wh are wading through all of this.

Here is my bias- when I sit down to listen to music, I want to hear something that sounds like real music- believable. I want to hear a saxophone that sounds like the real thing (not like a childrens toy), I want texture, body and truth in timbre. For me- that is best captured by well designed triode tube amplifiers (both push pull and single ended.) You do not find it with solid state components. I dare any audiophile to test it. Listen to the background instruments -can you focus on them dictinctly? You cannot pick them out with solid state amplifiers- there is too much drive- they blur them all together- you are aware that what you are hearing is ELECTRONIC. In general, you do not find this level in clarity in pentode tube, push pull designs that I have heard that encompass the majority of commercial tube manufacturers out there. You get more body to the music but they still so not get the distinct resolution level that the better triode tubes can reveal.

The speakers you have selected leave you many different choices in amplifiers. If you are looking for trouble free clean solid state- a nice YBA Integre DT or Passion will be musical without the solid state grit and grain and with a good soundstage.

I agree with Pdreher in that I think a high quality two chanel system is preferable than the multi-chanel HT. The whole HT stuff is another ploy to pry your hard earned dollars from your purse for something you may not need. You can end up littering your house with speakers all over the place- sure you have sound all around you but more is not neccessarily better.

With your speakers since they are very efficient-I would be to agree with the path C123666 mentioned above- a good quality 300B design would complement those speakers very well.

To get the most out of your system, you have to mate the preamp/power amp together and pick the appropriate speakers. My suggestion would be pick a good quality tube preamp, 300B poweramp and enjoy a very musical sound experience everytime you play your stereo.

Well within your price range, a nice Audible Illusions L-2 or M3a with a pair of Welborne 300B monoblock amps that will run you in the used market- $2500 to $3K. You can sit back and enjoy music at home and laugh at your fellow audiophiles blowing needless funds into their equipment.

Another nice option if you want more power is a Berning ZH270 amp- very flexible and tranparent with tube sound and truth of timbre! The designer has one of the best minds in audio and really understands audio circuits, designs amps that you can really live with (as opposed to the rest of the industry that would have you buy imposing -lets make the stereo the most dominant thing in your family room.)

Just an opinion like everyone else on here, but one that has alot of experience through years of trial and error and critical listening. My suggestions will help you have you have a system that you could go home to and relax and enjoy with out hype and pretention. Hope my two cents helps!

what type of music did you addition the cain and cain's with?

Thanks Apt_one - I very much want to hear the music, not the electronics. Your comments are quite convincing. I am especially interested in the Welborne Labs Terraplane 300b - after all, the bubinga wood will match some of the wood on my equipment rack! :rolleyes: Welborne also lists the Cain & Cain speakers as compatible. Since I don't have the skill to put together the kit, I would have to buy the assembled unit.

As for the Audible Illusions pre amps - what is the difference between a "Full-Function Stereo Preamplifier" (the Modulus 3A,) and a "line stage" (the L2.) The L2 appears to be capable of HT pass through to an external processor, but I am beginning to think I don't need that!

Jaybo - I can't remember all of the CDs I heard during my Abby audition, but among them were cuts from: Angelique Kidjo's "Black Ivory Soul," Miles Davis' "doo-bop," and Leonard Cohen's "Ten New Songs."

Holly