2. amps-preamps
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Tube Vs. SS Preamps

Oddly in +25 yrs in the hobby, I’ve never really owned a tube preamp. Can you comment on what the differences are in general sonic terms? I want a really fatigue free sound with lots of body (I run class A and class AB solid state amps).

Do you find SS preamps to be fatiguing typically, more so on average than tube ones? Or is it simply the added bloom that's appealing with tube preamps?

greg7

Showing 1 response by andrei_nz

andrei_nz
192 posts
 

Hi Greg. Been there and done that.

First up: interplay between price and quality.  Not a difficult concept in itself but it gets a bit more complicated with the variable of tube vs SS.  That is to say it is more difficult - and thereby more expensive - to produce an equivalent quality tube pre amp.  The main issue is in getting a truly low nice tube design. 

Second: There is a bit of a continuum.  For SS then mosfets sound closer to tubes than bi-polar transistors.  Likewise 6H30 tubes have more tube sound than others.

My take for a pre (given that I like valves): Do not bother unless you get a very high quality (and expensive) valve Pre that runs 6H30 tubes.

This is not so easy.  I have an Ayon Eris but I prefer to run my Emm Labs or Daniel Hertz Pre.  The Ayon is good but the Emm and the Daniel Hertz are just lower noise.

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