Dagostino hd momentum, is lack of rubes a problem?

geleary12342 postsI’m not sure if everyone could give a fair and honest answer about mix matching a tube preamp to Krell or Dan Dagostino gear. If you read some of the stereophile articles pertaining to how SS & Tube equipment tests on a bench, you will understand to not get caught up in the numbers. It’s great and all to quote stats but at the end of the day it’s how the equipment sounds to you. I have a Cary Audio SLP-05 Preamp with the Ultimate Upgrade and the Cardis wiring and it sounds fantastic with my Krell along with any of Dan’s new stuff. Tried and tested with thumbs up from everyone who came and listened to my rig. It’s an incredible match and it can be done. When it comes to sound quality, it competes with the best and so called best. At the end of the day, it’s just our opinions. Hope this helps.

How much is lost if one chooses DAG vs what a tube pre has to offer?

Can anyone speak to this potential DAG shortcoming?

Your asking a question, then answering by asking/stating the answer with another one???

My answer to you is, "if" the DAG preamp was bettered by a tube one, it’s because the tube one was coloring/masking something else in the system (source/s) that wasn't to your liking, and the dag pre showed them/it up like a microscope, it would probably been even similar or more also if a passive pre was used.
I suggest it could be your source/s as you use a lot of HT processing and movie stuff which let’s face it🤢

Cheers George

Lack of tubes means nothing.

Didnt see any comments of type u referred too.

Like this --> " The disadvantage tubes have is that they age and need replacement. "

Kinda like humans. :)

@jasonb.... 'Mr. K', no.
"Bambi Meets Godzilla", Yes. ;)

Try the Great coda SS preamp you can get it for under $6 k check out.          Audio Archon.
it will. not disappoint  stereo times and others have labeled it world class .
my brother owns several great tube amps 
and as far as resolution and very natural tonal balance I first thought 
itwas a tube preamp ,that’s where fet ,and mosfets come in 
even though they are solid state devises they have vacuum tube characteristics .

The Momentum is Godzilla stepping on a puny SET amp!

I’ve heard the d’Agostino different times with the Sonus Faber speakers : not my stuff: there’s no emotion in the music , very “flat’. ( sorry for the lovers…) detail  and placement are okay, but very expansive for what it is : much beter are Ear Yoshino , VAC , Wavac. , …here you can find emotion : you are “one”  with the music ( you experience ). You don’t have that with d’Agostino…

like a high altitude with lower air resistance, ie. why jets fly high in air.

By jove, me thinks he’s got it👍

Imagine 4 lanes of traffic now going into 40 lanes, yahoo time to put the foot down!! 
https://ibb.co/r7GfcJ2

Cheers George

Love analogy.  I am not tu smart, pictures make it easy.

so driving uphill toward higher impedance is good. Speakers are on hilltop and source is at bottom of hill

like a high altitude with lower air resistance, ie. why jets fly high in air. Signal path gets alot easier thru all the circuitry and cabling as it flows toward speakers.  

So why do ohms ratios increase from source to pre and then to amp and then to speaker.

thanks

Output should be low, so they can drive unimpeded into high impedance.

Imagine a traffic jam caused by 10 lanes coming into 1, that’s like a high output impedance looking at a lower input impedance, 10:1 not good.
You want the opposite. 1:10

Cheers George

 i have spoken with Dan Way back when  1988 we hit it off  hung out a few times  got  together at the Listing Room Scarsdale NY & at his Factory in Orange CT  Solid State is what he is very good at  & had no interest in tubes  even its its just output stage  I too have tried to Mix & match my Krell  Amps With AR tube preamp  and a few other big name tube preamps as far as i am concerned it just does not match up i will keep my KRELL  Amp & pre amp anytime over tube  I do love VAC tube Equipment  but then comes  the tube insanity of rolling tubes & it just never stops   it s  one or the other   i am all in Solid state  M L , J R , Krell will do just fine good night 

So why do ohms ratios increase from source to pre and then to amp and then to speaker.

thanks

Is that output imp on preamp side and input on amp side?

never have understood impedance

Source output impedance to pre input impedance, and pre output impedance to amp input impedance (and to a degree, amp to speaker as well)
All need the 1:10 or higher ratio

(1000ohm = 1kohm)

So a source with 100ohm output impedance is good into pre input impedance with 10 x that, which is 1000ohms. (1000ohm is referred to as 1kohm).

Cheers George

Yes.

Thanks,

Is that output imp on preamp side and input on amp side?

never have understood impedance

So confusing
is impedance matching meaningful? How does it work?

It said but undocumented and I agree, to use a minimum of 1:10 min ratio. (output impedance into input impedance) 1:20 even better

Cheers George

So confusing
is impedance matching meaningful? How does it work?

A solid state pre amplifier has always sounded better to me with a solid state amplifier i always hear a bad impedance mismatch when i have tried to mix the two types, tubes and transistors.

then spend the farm on a nice ss pre.

Why spend the farm on a pre.
Like I said if you need to color the sound to your liking with a tube pre, you don’t get off on the sound of your source.
Better to change the source to one you like.

If you don’t change your source get a $49 Schiit Sys passive pre after it.
https://www.schiit.com/products/sys
Then the Sys into the $299 Schiit 6 band Lokius EQ, and it to your amp
https://www.schiit.com/products/lokius

Cheers George

Nice reply mr george.  Maybe a cheaper pre with tubies and then spend the farm on a nice ss pre.  Maybe two pres will cure my mental turmoil.

jumia OP
Is lack of tubes in their hd momentum preamp cause for concern when paired with a ss amp?

jasonbourne52
It’s the designer’s choice! Tubes or transistors - either can make sonically excellent circuits! The disadvantage tubes have is that they age and need replacement.

It’s simple and should be.
One has more distortion and colorations, the other has minimal.
The one that will be "truer to the sound of the source", will be the Dan.

And if you don’t like it, "you don’t like the sound of of your source".
So change the source and get off the merry go round, otherwise all your trying to do is re-mix tonally the music yourself.
If that’s what you want to do (re-mix), save your bucks and get the new Schiit 6 band Lokius EQ
https://www.schiit.com/products/lokius

Cheers George

If you like tubes do what I did get a TW ACUSTIC RPS100 tube phono stage.

If resistance is futile just buy one of these and plonk it on top...

https://www.nixiediy.com/product/in-8-2-nixie-tube-clock-kit/

I think you should probably buy something from VAC, unless you think it is too expensive. 

They make great tube gear.

Is this really kenjit?

Would it be better with a couple tubes? S S tends to be stale. So why can dag be so good without tubes?

Such a strange question. Dan has NEVER made tube gear, so why would you even ask? If you want a tube pre, there are a thousand other makers to go to for it.

Rubes on the other hand age and gain experience until one day they are no longer rubes.

It's the designer's choice! Tubes or transistors - either can make sonically excellent circuits! The disadvantage tubes have is that they age and need replacement.