2. amps-preamps
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Preamps can color sound considerably. Surprising?

Had the pleasure of listening to 4 hi end preamplifiers this weekend. And each preamp sounded very nice. But they were different. Each preamplifier has different circuitry and within the frequency spectrum there was more vibrancy in some areas versus other areas. Amplifiers are the same way.

It takes a while to appreciate sound differences between preamplifiers. And then you got the issue of Breakin which further changes the color.

clearly designers are playing around with all the internal circuitry in a manner that hopefully will be appealing. Clearly, these units do not get out of the way when it comes to moving a signal through the box.

I think solid state is more susceptible to coloring versus tubes. Tubes color sound as well.

It's all about marketing different ways to color Music. This isn't necessarily bad but it's never really talked about this way.

 

 

 

jumia
p05129
483 posts
 

Tube preamps color the sound much more than SS preamps. Why do you hear go with a tube preamp and a SS amp? Every time you roll a different tube in a device you get a different sound. The SS device will sound the way it is forever.

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gryphongryph
352 posts
 

Even a cheap tube pre can do wonders for a system, a very good solid state pre often is very expensive.

Off course a pre “color” the sound, but with tube rolling you often can get the sound you like, should you want to change the sound.

 

 

ozzy62's avatar
ozzy62
2,859 posts
 

This is exactly why I eschew active preamps. I have owned quite a few well respected ones, the last being a Don Sachs which was very good. But when compared to a good passive, it's just no contest. As long as you have reasonably efficient speakers, robust source components and an amplifier that is easily driven, there is no need for gain that you are effectively going to throw away.

hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,840 posts
 

The only "authentic" sound is what the guys in the studio heard.

On particular headphones or monitor speakers, with their amplification, after the mics, mixing board adjustments and additions, and all the intentions for that mix to be played over other kinds of speakers (car, radio, etc.).

It's color all the way down.

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