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Very Basic Tube/SS Pre-AMP/AMP Question

I am a novice, but after reading these forums there appears to be many pros and cons about using tubes or not using them and in the end, it is a very subjective issue.

I am wondering if it makes sense to use say, a high-end tube preamp like one of the ARC's and pair it with a high-end solid state amp like the PASS. Has anyone tried doing this, and if so what were the results?

I've got my eyes on the Revel Studio's right now, and I need components to drive them...if that helps.

I live in Tokyo and it is very difficult to demo quality gear out here. I would greatly appreciate any advice in this area!

Cheers,

Michael
squidbone
david99
1,467 posts
 
I have a tubed preamp and a solid state amp.The pre is a Rogue 99 with 6SN7's in the line stage and 12AX7's and 12AU7's in the phono stage.
My amp is the 30 wpc Pass Labs Aleph-3
They are connected with 1 1/2 meter of Harmonic Technology Pro-Silway MKII's
I have found what I like the most with this combination is the huge soundstage.There is real space and 'air' between instruments.The stage (on most recordings) starts well in front of the speakers and goes well behind them.Depending on the recording the stage can go 2-3 feet outside the width of the speakers.
I think tubes and a single ended amp design make an excellent combination.
What Pass amp do you have/want?
squidbone OP
2 posts
 
I would like the x350, but I may have to go for the x250 if the yen keeps crapping out!

I'm just starting to get it all together, but again it is really hard from over here. I am relying mostly on you experts, and I don't mind taking a $15,000 flyer on some good audio equipment.

Thanks again for your input.
t_bone
1,182 posts
 
Another fellow Tokyoite... I have tube monoblocks and when I bought them, I tried all the combinations (all tubes, all SS, and both other combos) and ended up going with a tube amp with passive pre. I highly recommend putting tubes somewhere in the system. If you're interested, Dynamic Audio in Akihabara (5F of Soundhouse) has (or had a week ago) an ARC VT200 amp for ~JPY 500k, similar or lower price than what you'll find on Audiogon. They also had an ARC pre. DA in Shinjuku (basement) recently had a great price on a pair of Revel Ultima Studios. Send me an email if you want more places to find gear.
mgottlieb
334 posts
 
A lot of people seem to think tube preamp/solid state power amp(s) are the best compromise, giving you a substantial part of the benefits of both. So I'm trying it--Lamm L1 preamp and LP2 phono amp, with Classe CAM350 power amps. The Classes, of course, are solid state, the LP2 is tubed, and the L1 is a tube/ss hybrid. The system sounds better than it ever has before, but until I audition tube or hybrid power amps, I can't really say if it's the best of all possible worlds.
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