Going Tubing
Greetings!
I would like to introduce some tubes into my two channel set up.
I currently have a solid-state preamp and a solid-state power amp. (And a separate, hybrid tube phono stage.)
I am wondering, conceptually, staying with separates, if it would be better to switch the preamp to a tube preamp, or if it’s better to change the power ramp to a tube power amp. With “better” in this case I mean would have bigger impact on, for a lack of a better description, “tube sound.”
(I realize there are other considerations, such as having enough power to drive my speakers, but here I’m talking about conceptually, which part of these two audio chain components would have the most impact on the sound if switching one of them from ss to tube.)
@ghdprentice captured it well in his comment that said, the use of a tube power amp depends alot on the chosen speaker and its demands to get the full dose of what tubes do to the sonic presentation, once one decides they like it, ideally the system is all tube and now having said all of this, and having been a tube-o-phile for some 30 years, i do not have a single vacuum tube in my current system... LOL |
op i trust you have seen this useful review of your speakers, where the (pretty good) reviewer uses three different amps with them, two of which are tubed... the two, a leben, represents a somewhat more classically tubey sound, and the lta amp a more modern tube sound - he is pretty articulate in his writing about how the music is presented with the different amps thru these speakers maybe this will help further inform you in your consideration i would say the best way (cost effective, and just plain ol effective) to experience tube sound in your system is to get a decent tube integrated... buy it used, and resell it if it doesn’t float your boat |
