Yep same. Main system rotates: 2 great preamps, 3 great amps, 2 main phono stage, several carts and a few main SUTs. Two sets of speaker cables with slightly different voices. That’s before we even get into tube rolling. But just one pair of speakers. There are a few top combinations for sure, a few more interesting ones, but it’s been hard to settle on “one” for the long run, so far.
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You and me both @soix . You and me both! |
Yes, I too am amp-bidextrous. I can live with 2 amplifiers at the same time. They are definely different, sonically and esthetically. Every third Thursday I change them out. Not really, but having a preset schedule seems a little more sane than just: "Hey, I think I’ll tear the whole thing apart and put it back together today because, you know, the foot tap on Blackbird sounds more engaging on Amp B." Don’t get me started with cars. Between the 2 of us, my wife and I own 9 vehicles. 6 have manual transmissions when I want to feel some sort of synergy and connection with the vehicle. Some have the "correct" number of cylinders (8), and some have half that many but still pull pretty hard and are fun to drive. Some are loud, and some effectively hide the complexity of what’s happening inside. We’ve got the normally aspirated, the turbo’d, the supercharged and, yes, the all-electric that’s the quickest set of 4 wheels in the bunch. There’s the open cockpit, and the whisper quiet. The technology laden, Bluetooth, auto-steer, heated and cooled seats, and the one’s you pray you’ll not get caught in the rain while more than 5 miles from home. Which sey of keys we choose (or, in one case, our phones are the keys) depends on a number of factors. Yes, blizzard conditions narrrows the choices considerably. In all cases, we are humbled, grateful, and Thankful this week. And, any week. |
@hilde45 I likely missed your stating so elsewhere on this forum however want to know which 6SN7 pre do you own. Thanks. |
Catch that often elusive something by the toe. Right now it's Hegel h360 int. with LRS or VA Bach Grands. Nice combo but will be switching out soon for my Rogue Atlas magnum tube amp and Perseus tube pre. Or maybe my DNA .5 and the Perseus? Or maybe it's time to bi-amp my old Snell type D again? I do really enjoy switching out gear and getting a different take on things occasionally. Keeps things interesting! |
Of all the components I roll, changing preamps is perhaps the most jarring and hard to accept once I get used to an incumbent preamp. It’s all the subtle cues and nuances a preamp has that adds up to define their DNA of sound. I can change amps and immediately appreciate the far LESS subtle changes in bass, midrange, and treble - it’s a different perspective and some amps do better with some kinds of music, but I can always appreciate those differences. But when I change preamp my brain is more likely to go: WAIT, WHAT?! Even though its individual sonic difference are more subtle :) |