2. amps-preamps
  3. 133998-18991

Falling out of love with tubes

I’ve owned an EICO ST-70 for eight years.  It’s modified and upgraded to the max, but with budget tubes. 

I just got got a Conrad Johnson SA-250 for a steal.  I plugged it in and it has blown my mind.  I feel like I’m hearing my music for the first time! So much detail I never noticed before!

I’m selling the EICO and will use the money for a preamp.   The SA-250 amp sounds kind of sterile/clinical to me.  Very unforgiving of a mediocre recording.

***Will using a preamp instead of going direct from my computer or tape sweeten the sound, even if it’s the solid state CJ Sc26 preamp?

***Will I lose the detail I hear if I get an older CJ tube pre in my price range? (Pv-10al) 

I’m listening to Silverline Prelude tower speakers, anticables level 2 speaker wires, anticables level 1 interconnects, and Denon dvd-2200 for CD, parasound zphono USB for my Supex SDX-1000  mc cartridge.  (Haven’t tried anything but phone, computer and cassette since I don’t have a preamp) 

Thanks in advance for your input. 
audibleaudio

Showing 1 response by nitewulf

nitewulf
435 posts
 
" By “going direct” I meant plugging the headphone out jack of my computer into the input of the SA-250 amp and using the volume control of the computer. Also, my Denon cassette player has an output level control. Thanks!"

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A few things, your tube amp is a very old design, modern tube amps are a lot more neutral and detailed. To go from your PC to the amp, like you’re doing now is pretty bad, you’re losing a lot of detail, both from the PC volume control, which is digital as well as the headphone out, which isn’t the best quality, it’s basically an internal headamp board based on cheap components and possibly not a lot of gain. Look for a cheapish external DAC/Preamp, with an USB input, then you can hook up your PC to the DAC/Pre via USB which will transmit the audio signal digitally, without loss...then the DAC/Pre will convert the digital to analog, amplify to line level, and send it to your Conrad Johnson. You will hear what a difference that makes.

Few examples:
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_772D1/Audioengine-D1.html?tp=59340

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_779DACMPLB/Cambridge-Audio-DacMagic-Plus-Black.html?tp=59309


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