2. amps-preamps
  3. 1261021553

tube pre amp plus solid state power amps?

HI there,
My systems have always been tube system all the way through phon stage + pre amp+ power amps, but recently I got a little tire of maintenance of these amps and thought about changing power amps to solid state. I listen classical music. I always love tube amp particular from my LP collection. I am worrying about using solid state power amp will loose the texture of the sound that I like. However, I have done a little reading, some one said high end power amps will keep that sound, especially something like McCormack DNA-500 and Claytons amps. There are some writing confuse me, such as: β€œit is not important to use tube phon stage, solid state will be better.” I even read the statement says: pre amp is the least important of the whole audio chain.”

Well, what I am thinking about is keep tube system for both my phon stage and pre amp, use solid state for power amps replace tube system. Does anyone can tell me this will be a good change, or I need either whole system on tubes or on solid state?

Thanks
suikang

Showing 1 response by larryi

larryi
4,189 posts
 
A friend of mine has the new J2 amp which he uses on a very high efficiency horn based system (105 db/w) and on some fairly low efficiency mini monitors. I believe he was using the Levinson No. 32 preamp in order to go fully balanced all the way from his SACD source to the amp. I thought the sound was quite good -- grain free, clear, and reasonably free of the artificial edge to the attack of the note and unnatural decay of notes that often characterizes solid state sound.

However, it would not be an alternative to most solid state amps because it is quite low in output (something like 20 watts, if I recall correctly).
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