2. amps-preamps
  3. 124419-3909

Why some preamps does not play music? Cold?

I mean technically/electronically wise, why some preamps while been very revealing and very good in reproduction of frequencies and extensions, are at the same time not engaging musically and emotionally and even boring? Are there a solutions to fix that (except for changing preamp)?
dvavc
bombaywalla's avatar
bombaywalla
1,958 posts
 
atmasfere: as a matter of fact, those Sylvania which i have currently installed are extremely microphonic. Are you suggesting it might cause the issue i'm talking about?
yes! That very well could be your issue.
Once I had a pair of 7308 tubes that were very microphonic & swapping them with a pair of non-microphonic 6922 made the sonics much better. While they lasted the Amperex 7308 very really superb. 

georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
I don’t agree with you that a passive pre is the proverbial "straight piece of wire".


I didn’t say it was, but it is closer than any active preamp can get. The only way to get closer is to go direct to poweramp with a source with one that has a digital domain volume control. But this way you have to use the digital domain volume control at or above 75% of full output,. If you don’t you start to what’s called "bit strip" that is loosing resolution from EG: 16bit to 14bit to 12bit. the lower you go below 75% of full volumme


Cheers George

dvavc OP
81 posts
 
knghifi: "It’s very possible ... GZ34 family?" Yep. Russian. You really believe it might cause the problem at issue?
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,633 posts
 
as a matter of fact, those Sylvania which i have currently installed are extremely microphonic. Are you suggesting it might cause the issue i'm talking about? 
Microphonics can cause brightness and amusicality. Any tube used for audio should be hand-picked for low microphonics.
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,236 posts
 
Dvavc,
I think you may be getting closer to the "possible" cause of your complaint thanks to Atmasphere, Bombaywalla and Knghifi. Your response to georgelofi was appropriate given your original quest. and stated objective. Good Luck.
Charles,

More to discover