2. amps-preamps
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Newbi seeking advise - why tubed pre-amp?

I am looking for an integrated amp for my small home office to drive a pair of Energy Veritas 2.1 bookshelf speakers, and am thinking about getting a tube integrated amp, although I have never owned any tube equipment before. I see there are some amps, such as Julida 1501 that comes with a SS amp section but tubed preamp. I understand why people may want a tube amplifier with how it handles distortions and etc, but why tube pre-amp? Why adding coloration to the signal before it reaches the amplifier? Don't you want it to be as pure as possible? This is just as confusing as tubed DACs (some Sonic Frontier I saw before). Please advise.
loujo

Showing 1 response by delsfan

delsfan
19 posts
 
"it sounds a lot better" That is why!

For many of us, the only reason to not use tubes is if we have large, inefficient, power hungry speakers. Even then, if we have lots of money, we still buy tubed products! Of course, on a budget, the hybrid integrateds work really well.

You sound like you've never heard the huge soundstage a good tube amplifier can provide; visit your nearby dealer (Conrad-Johnson, or even Jolida) and have a listen. If you're not impressed, or listen exclusively to R&R, then your choices are simplified.

Otherwise, there's nothing like the wonderful sound of tubes.
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