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Going Tubing

Greetings!

I would like to introduce some tubes into my two channel set up.

I currently have a solid-state preamp and a solid-state power amp. (And a separate, hybrid tube phono stage.)

I am wondering, conceptually, staying with separates, if it would be better to switch the preamp to a tube preamp, or if it’s better to change the power ramp to a tube power amp. With “better” in this case I mean would have bigger impact on, for a lack of a better description, “tube sound.”

(I realize there are other considerations, such as having enough power to drive my speakers, but here I’m talking about conceptually, which part of these two audio chain components would have the most impact on the sound if switching one of them from ss to tube.)

128x128bimmerlover
immatthewj
1,279 posts
 

OP, about 30 years ago when I started my trek down the road to 'better end' audio, my intent was to combine HT with 2 channel stereo.  Therefore I went with a ss digital HT pre in front of (for the left & right front speakers) Cary's entry level two channel amp.  That probably wasn't the best way to go about things.  Later down the road I swapped out the Little Cary for a pair of ARC VTM 120s (tube mono blocks) for a bigger sound, but still I wasn't getting what I wanted.  A year or two later I picked up a second hand Cary SLP 90 (tubed pre) and swapped out the HT pre, and that is when my system started to really sing.  Two or three years ago I swapped out the SLP 90 with a SLP 05, and that turned out to be one of the biggest sonic improvements I ever made.

All that was to say that I am also in the camp that, if I was only going to go with one or the other, I would start with a tube pre in front of a ss amp.

Have fun!

soix
8,774 posts
 

Here’s a nice Linear Tube Audio MZ2 with their linear power supply upgrade that’s an excellent preamp (read the reviews) and that’s well within your budget, and as a bonus it’s also an outstanding headphone amplifier if you swing that way or might like to in the future.

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650086955-linear-tube-audio-mz2-headphonepreampintegrated-amp-no-fee-for-paypal-today-only/images/5003705/

Best of luck. 

signaforce's avatar
signaforce
139 posts
 

+1 on the Rogue RP-5 used. 

wolf_garcia
6,628 posts
 

Get a tube amp that allows tube rolling as it adds a lot of fun to the process (There's a Dennis Had Firebottle on Ebay if you have efficient speakers), and you cant go wrong with the amazing bargain that is a Freya + (class A in Stereophile). I own the original version of that preamp, and it's amazingly good.

pindac's avatar
pindac
2,453 posts
 

@bimmerlover Do note:

Tubes in a Audio System are not a device one can Power On and forget about.

My Valve EE, has always encouraged the discipline for not leaving the Audio System unattended for long periods of time.

The Idea being one stays within the audio set up room for the bulk of the Power On time and even has a revisit not too long after Power Off.

Having said that I have a all Valve Power Amp's in the System for over 30 Years and today the system is inclusive of Valve Phon' and DAC.

I am vigilant when it comes to being present when the system is on. It is this same requirement that put my wife off using the audio system, even though she owns 50%+ of the Albums.  

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