new to tubes, match for spectral amp

If you are looking for minimal change, you might try a tube dac to feed the preamp. One of my friends has the full blown spectral/mit system. I loaned him my ARC ph-3 phono preamp (which we connected to his dmc-20), & noticed that it did give his system a little bit of tube glow. Didn't have the full on tube magic of my ph3/ref1/vt100 tube system but gave a glimpse. Spectral gear is so accurate that you hear those three 6922 tubes in the ph-3 all through the system. In my listening I hear the most tube magic from swapping the amplifier, followed by amp/pre, followed by amp/pre/source. That's with fairly limited trials using pass aleph amp/pre, arc amp/pre, bat pre, conrad-johnson amp, and mccormack dna amp.

Due regards to Asa, but the character of spectral vs. tubes in context of the Eidolon is less absolute. The Eidolons are warm enough and harmonically full enough in the mids/upper bass to mitigate some of spectral's leaness. And ARC reference can be fast and neutral enough to sound like solid state with more bloom - enough to offend some tubeophiles (and, yes, better imaging).
Like Jdwek, I would like to hear how dmc30/ARC Ref300's and ARCpre/DMA150 II Studio's combine.

Good point flex.
Actually the reason I started thinking about this was while in a stereo store I happened to hear some audio research stuff with eidolons. The cables in use were actually the cables they usually use for the spectral setup.
That got me thinking about when I first listened to this stuff about 5 years ago and I heard an audio research preamp and an older spectral amp. I liked it but at that time in my novitate I only knew about the spectral amp and preamp combo (as Asa implies). Now I am a bit more curious.....and maybe more sacrilegous.

I tried a spectral pre with a cary tube power amp. It ended up being about as detailed a sound as I've ever heard in my system - but not my cup of tea even though I could've lived with it. I do agree with the above post that you should sort of decide which character you prefer and go that route - spectral and tubes are just apples and oranges - rather than trying to combine them. Perhaps if you went for the more neutral, less 'romantic' tube gear (CAT, ARC), you'd be happiest.

I suggest you listen to a complete tube system and then see if it's worth trying to compromise - find a dealer that will let you try the various options.

Beside ARC, I would listen to some Cary combinations or other tube options a good dealer can provide. It's hard to beat the sound of female jazz vocalists on a Cary system.

Good luck and good listening!

John Williams
jowillia@columbine.net