Tube Preamp: How many tubes does it take to .................


My McIntosh Tube Tuner/Preamp has 17 tubes (some for tuner of course).

https://www.ebay.com/itm/275808078607?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338381866&toolid=10001&customid=2bcceb8a-2310-11ee-a804-333735616563

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This EAR 802 Tube Preamp has 14 tubes (and either MM or MC phono)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/275949778364?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338381866&toolid=10001&customid=a2033c2a-230e-11ee-a2d3-636437633039

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Some have as few as 2 and no mention of Hybrid

Some call themselves Hybrid

What _____________________________?

 

elliottbnewcombjr

Showing 1 response by bdp24

Tim de Paravicini's later (and still currently available) EAR-Yoshino pre-amps use far fewer tubes. The 868PL (phono and line) uses two tubes per stage, the 868L (line only) just a pair of 7DJ8's. The 912 uses the same two line stage tubes as the 868, with three tubes for phono gain.

The ARC SP-9 mentioned above by @curiousjim is a tube/FET hybrid design, not a pure tube one. That's why it uses only a single tube for each stage. IMO ARC hybrid pre-amps sound more like FET's than tubes (I've owned two).