Tube versus SS



Since I just installed some rather expensive NOS 6922 Telefunken tubes in my Phono-preamp, that yielded outstanding results, I decided to compare CD to Phono.

From the best of "Jacintha", CD, I selected "Danny Boy". Her voice emerged deep center stage from a jet black noise free back ground. It sounded more like what I expected from the analog.

That was followed by special LP's of Dinah Washington that had recently arrived. Those LP's were everything I expected with the NOS 6922 Telefunken Tubes in the Phono, but the surprise was the fact that I couldn't tell the two apart; both were outstanding.

What may surprise you, is the fact that I attribute these outstanding results from the COVID 19 "lock-down" which has given us the quietest "grid" ever in history. That means those of us with lesser means have the same AC power as the richest who can afford expensive AC power "clean uppers".

BTW, I have made extensive comparisons to recordings made before and after, the lock-down that confirm just how much of a difference it's made. I must admit that I had doubts about expensive power conditioners, but this confirms that fantastic results come from taming the wild AC.

It's my belief that we can not achieve better results than we have from the current "quiet grid", which means power conditioner or no power conditioner, we are all presently getting the same results.

Could it be that the dominant factor when comparing tube and SS when they both are of comparable quality is "The quality of the AC"?
   
orpheus10

Even though I can't hear as well as some, (old age) I listen better than most. While I live in a quiet neighborhood, I can tell there must be commercial activities beyond my neighborhood that affect our "grid"; it could be a lot larger than I think it is.

I have no idea how large an area comprises a "grid", I only know what I hear and when I hear it. I recall one New Years Eve when it was 6 degrees below 0 and a foot of snow was on the ground. My bedroom rig, which is not expensive, was sounding extra special; as a matter of fact I stayed up all night listening to it, that's how good it was sounding; that was no delusion.

Since forever people have remarked how much better music sounded on Sunday. Like most people I attributed that to the quiet restful mood most people are in on Sunday. However, when you observe all the times "they say" music sounds better, it also corresponds with the time that commercial and industrial activity is closed.

Audiophiles know what makes expensive gear expensive is primarily the power supply; the capacitors alone can cost a small fortune. All that money goes into turning AC into quiet DC. The electric company even spends a small fortune trying to give you constant 60 cycles per second but this is also constantly varying slightly do to activity on your grid. Now if everything I have described is under normal circumstances, just imagine what a difference it's made under present circumstances with so many things shut down.
I think in your case SQ diffs might be more attributed to the quality of the DAC vs the sound of the tubes. If you like the 6922s try some RCA ClearTop 6FQ7s in there.
Battery power is the best.

I run my entire system off of 10 Group 60 Batteries in series with a DSR Charger.

Sarcasm in this time of Anarchy, BTW must suck to still be on lock-down we are rolling down here in Texas now....well as much as we can.


I will say I've found my system sounding better during lockdown because the overall noise floor is reduced. I don't mean power so much as outside noises, I'm in downtown DC, many fewer cars and trucks, fewer people talking on the street. I think that's helped and maybe the power has been cleaner who knows. What this has to do with tubes vs ss I have no idea but I am all tubes here.