john_1 sez: "... Results and taste may vary ! " i gotta agree w/that! ;~) in *my* case, a tubed preamp made a *big* difference - big increase in soundstage depth w/*no* loss of detail (to my linn kairn w/slimline version of their brilliant switch-mode p/s). of course, my electrocompaniet amps have been *accused* of being wery toob-like... it costs less money to get a tube preamp that doesn't sacrifice what solid-state offers, than to do the same w/a tube amp, imho... doug
Tube sound: Pre-amp vs. amp?
I'm just an audio neophyte, so bear with me on this question: If I want to achieve a "warmer", tube-like sound, do I have to upgrade BOTH the pre-amp and the amp to tubes? I currently have ss components (NAD) and would like to take the edge off the top, but keep the detail, especially in the mid-range.