Hybrid tube / SS system


Hello...

Long time reader...that is, I see the emails roll in for the daily and weekly recp sessions..and they are very interesting. 

I have wanted to move back to tubes.   As a teenager in the early 70's I had a makeshift old workhorse 1959 General Electric G7700 Integrated amp that I loved...  In 1976, I managed to secure a Sansuai 1000a receiver...that I still wish I had. 

Back in October of '83 I secured Yamaha separates (as a 24 year old...I had to have them!) I was convinced that these separates were royalty. - C-70, M-70 and (recently re-coned) Cerwin Vega D-8's and a Grado Platinum 1 cartridge and a Dual 1219 Turntable that I secured. 

Then...last year I found another General Electric G7700 that I got back up and running...that I put into storage after a couple of weeks.

My point:  As a younger person, I had seen the light of tubes...and I want to move back... I want to see about building a hybrid system.  Should I bother buying a tube amp or a tube preamp...replacing one of the Yamaha separates? (I read that tube preamp is usually the way to go). Or is it a bad idea altogether?  I know there is  Impedance issues doing the hybrid route.   And, I am not sure of the "audio world" worthiness of the Yamaha units; that is, they work perfectly since a complete "go-through" (sans caps) was performed a couple years ago but I am not sure if they stand up to time in the audio-gear world, per se.  I do want a bit more warmth and color.  The Yamaha units seem rather bland and flat with their "Natural Sound".  Or am I crazy?  Or, are the Cerwin Vega D-8's an issue?

I know I am all over the map here...

Thoughts, comments, suggestions?  Anything would be be appreciated.

vinylspin
vinylspin

Showing 1 response by millercarbon

A good tube integrated like the Raven is the sweet spot and awfully hard to beat without spending a huge amount more. https://www.ravenaudio.com/product/osprey-mk3/ If you have the budget for it then https://www.ravenaudio.com/product/reflection-mk2/ Either one of these will be my next move up from the very fine Melody integrated I have enjoyed for about a dozen years now https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367 which if you want a great amp for less than a new Raven let me know I might just decide to move on it a little sooner than planned. 

The only other one I would consider is Prima Luna, but they are made in China, so good luck with that. Raven are made in Texas.