More on ss/vs tubes vs hybrids


I am using a Monarchy Tube DAC with an Ayre Axy7e. For me this seems to be a reasonable ss/tube hybrid compromise. (in another forum, a few audiogoners commented on this as type of solution as well.) I just put Amperex/Holland 6DJ8's in the DAC and am really enjoying the sound of the DAC coupled with the speed and clarity of the Ayre. Changing tubes has a noticeable impact on the sound.

I am curious to hear opinions about this compromise and have some questions:

1. Would the reverse be a better compromise (or just different), a good SS DAC with a tube amp? (no, I am not going to throw out my CD's and go vinyl :)

2. Does using tubes down the line, (DAC, pre, AMP) compound the harmonic distortion issues with tubes? and possibly also the transient response? I have found transient response to be a key factor in reproduction of timbre.

Thanks!
drewh1
DAC by nature is IC and IC can't be tube. DACs can only have tube output stage which by default dictates DACs being hybride...
Tubes in the DAC is fine and IMHO affects mostly things like resolution and tone and perhaps a tad of liquidity. Tubes in a pre-amp is pretty much the same. Tubes in the amp output stage caps all of this off with a sense of spaciality which is, in IMHO, mainly missing with SS amps no matter their tone or liquidity. That is how I hear it anyway. :-)

You can't have too many tubes in your system. I agree with your premise about transient response, however I think that too often SS amps get a lot of credit for things like being able to reproduce a square wave precisely but the net effect is to truncate the decay (fall time) leaving the sound flat and sterile. But it is very system dependent and not all tube amps get it right either.

FWIW, I use both SS and tube digital sources, and while different not nearly so different as when I substituted in a tubed pre-amp for ss, and susequently a tubed amp for ss.
When I added the tube amp it was the frosting on the cake.

IMHO anyway..............