Brighter sound of SS amps is related to Transient Intermodulation distortion (TIM) caused by negative feedback used to linearize output transistors especially in class AB amplifiers. Product of TIM is overshoot of transitions (in time domain) equivalent of producing odd order harmonics (in frequency domain). On the other hand overly warm gear, that might sound great on guitar or voice, can make other instruments with complex harmonic structure sound wrong. For instance piano, that has harmonics much more complex than simple overtones, can sound almost "out of tune". Ideal amp shouldn't add anything of its own, IMHO, pleasant or not. |
Kijanki, I used to own the Hyperion 938s, one of my favorites. I think I was the first to own a pair in the US having purchased them in 2004. I miss them, but to big for me. I would buy them again if my back wasn't so messed up. I have to say the 938s sound great with tubes and smooth SS.
I prefer an amp which is just a touch on the warm side of neutral. On 1 to 10 scale, 1 being sterile and bright, 5 being neutral, and 10 being overly warm/ripe, I prefer 6. Just because more recordings error on the lean side. |
Dracule1, Hyperions are really sad story. Company had absolutely great innovative product with many awards to practically fold the business down. They had poor dealership base, poor customer support, no marketing etc. I was lucky to still get it. With neutral sounding class D amp (Rowland 102) it is a little on the warm side but it sounds great even on lean/bright records. I need a little more highs (air) but it might be room acoustics (reverberation) or class D limitation. Midrange is to die for while bass is tuneful with very realistic attack and decay. |
Kijanki,
Agree, I don`t want an amp to add anything.I just want it to sound natural and realistic as possible.
Regards, |
Yes Kijanki, the Hyperions have one of the best midrange of any speaker I've heard, including electrostats and ribbon speakers. Their spiderless drivers are unique. They haven't folded yet. I might end up getting a pair of the 968s. |
But getting back to the subject of this thread, I'm not sure one can ever determine if his preamp is "neutral" unless he was at the recording session and all his other components in the chain are neutral. Essentially an impossibility for most of us. All we have is our subjective opinion as to what we think is neutral. In that respect, my current amp with stepped attenuator is as neutral as I have heard. |
I'm not sure one can ever determine if his preamp is "neutral" unless he was at the recording session and all his other components in the chain are neutral. Bingo! I made a recording in 1986 that went to LP. It has proven invaluable to me over the years (I have the master tape) to understanding what is neutral and what is not. |
Atmasphere,
was the studio you recorded it in neutral? Lol |
since all stereo systems have a "sound", having a preamp, especially one with tubes, gives you the facility to change the "flavor" of your stereo system. |
Mrtennis, I have a DAC that has an output tube and a rectifier tube. I have been changing those tubes to change the "flavor" of my system. Having too many tubes in a system hasn't been a good thing IME. Too much heat, to many tube failures, too much expense, and too much noise...any too much tubey goodness. |
I can tell you first hand having a very expensive Ayon
preamp I borrowed ,the Nad-M51 digital vlume is 35 bit
and to get a -66 db signal before truncation it is impossible to hear in this case this digital direct output is one of the best out there and your amplifier and how good or bad it is ultimately will dictate it's sound character and ultimate resolution. I am running in pure class A with the Parasound Halo amps and it sounds excellent.If I may add the Nad is much better now that I added the Bryston BDP player to an external SS drive
with Wireworld Platinum USB cable ,and XLR.it is now world class at under $6k, and bettered My Ayon Skylla MK-2 dac which was very good and used the same Digital cable ,even did the Hifi tuning for the fuses
when combined with the Bryston bdp and cables the NAD won .
in overall resolution ,Bass and seperation of instruments the Ayon was a bit warmer and softer,and the Ayon has a Triode preamp section built in.By going direct to Amp the Amplifier is the Key. |
