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Considering switching to Tubes

Hello all, 

For the last ten or so years I've been listening to music on my home stereo, and for the last 10 or so years I have been 100% content with everything about it. And then my best friend brought by a Chinese integrated tube amp, and my world fell apart. 

Currently the set up is:
Speakers: B&W 805s 
Amp: Rotel RB1070
Preamp: Rotel RC1070 
CD player: Rotel RCC1055
DAC: TEAC UD301 

The B&W and Rotel gear was purchased whe  I worked at an electronics retail store through the employee purchase program (I think it was cost -10%), the TEAC was added to try out streaming through the system, which in all honesty is what I do 99% of the time now. 

My friend and former colleague brought over a recently acquired Yaqin MC100B, and I simply can't stress enough how much more I enjoyed listen to the music off of that integrated Amp. 

Which leads me to my questions, should I just give in, and grab a relatively affordable tube amp? And secondly, I've been reading (mostly about Yaqin, because I'm not in the position currently to invest 5000+) up on their various models, and the two that seem to be what in looking for are either the MC100B which I've heard on my system and the MC13S, which I have not. The first uses KT88s and the second uses EL34s, I'm not a big bass loving guy, and the EL34s intrigue me, but I'm a hesitant to jump in without listening to them. The snag is, I live in the arctic, and the only really way for me to try them at home, is to purchase them. 

I'm open to arguments for and against swapping out the rotel, for yaqin.


Cheers, 

E 
esp803
56 responses Add your response
icepimp
3 posts
 
Even more to that people would look at the stats and assume the four strokes is better than a 2 stroke by simply by looking at Power specs. but the two stroke is all about the feel yet manufacturers keep shoving four strokes down our throats.

Tube vs transistors for your consideration
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Oh, you mean like steel frame road bikes? 🚴‍♂️
paulcreed
559 posts
 
I bought a used Yaqin el34 amp to use for an office system. It sounded more like solid state than tube. I even put Mullard xf2 Blackburn plant el34's in it I had laying around which cost more than yaqin new, better but did nothing for me so I sold it. Even high quality tube amps can sound more like solid state, some can be to lush and romantic for my taste. You may want to find a happy medium that matches your speakers. Just because you see tubes lit up in your system doesn't mean it's going to always sound good.
audioman58's avatar
audioman58
4,135 posts
 
Rogue has been putting cheap parts in for years ,and transformers
hum still an issue off and on tube sockets,IEC all junk.
jolida needs to upgrade circuit board to at least a 2 Oz-4 Oz military grade board these board literally bend when moving tubes myself and others broke solder joints ,thicker boards on stand offs 
remove the design flaw rogue too cheap IEC connectors $1 tube sockets many short cuts you don’t see .i have many years in here and tired of seeing lack of pride.the tip 4 companies higher prices living on their namesake .adk questions ,and option upgrades 
copper IEC ,and rca ,night and day better remove the bottle neck 
in conductivity , lower resistance better musicality .
audioman58's avatar
audioman58
4,135 posts
 
I will say the New Jolida - now formally called Black Ice is a noticeable step up
not just in looks one of the smartest designs out here ,but also in function .
the very well known Jim Fosgate designed and has several patents,and the very classy center meter to bias your tube takes seconds right from the front.
compared to the prima Luna Dialogue my friend has this F-35 was under $2k 
with el34  tubes and the dynamics and detail in this new circuit is excellent 
this amp has Big German Iron in these transformers with  a updated hafler 
transformer design you would have to spend much more then 2 x the price to 
better this ,and this is the best looking Vacuum tube integrated I have seen in a long time. Check out the utube videos.
rongold's avatar
rongold
49 posts
 
If you are happy with your ss amp, stay with it and replace the preamp, you will get most of the warmer ‘tube’ sound. I started with an Used Audible Illusion line stage and was blown away with the sound, will never go back to ss gear. There is a lot of used tube gear available. Several folk have mentioned several. You can add a tube amp later.
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