2. amps-preamps
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To Tube or not to Tube......

For quite some time now I've been thinking about switching from a solid state to a tube power amp. My Threshold T-100 has been real good to me and I do like it, but it's really the only "high-end" amp I've ever owned, so it's all I know. I'm intrigued by the "warm" sound of tubes and do have a tubed phono amp and CD player, but I am by no means well-versed in the sound of tube power amps having never really auditioned one. I know that goes against the prevailing wisdom and I should listen before I buy, but I don't think I will have the luxury of doing that.

That being said, I've gone through about 20 pages of this forum reading about the benefits and detriments of tubed power amps but nothing I've read has swayed me either way. The posts I've read have been informative re: bias issues, reliability, blowing fuses or whatever else might blow up or go wrong with the tubs, etc. So, if I were to go the tube route, I would not want deal with too much of that hassle. At lease I know that the amp I have doesn't have any such issues. That's why I was leaning toward amps like BAT with their auto biasing (I also need balanced inputs), and would want at least 60-100 wpc. I would be willing to deal with adjusting bias so long as it was a relatively simple process.

I figured I would pose my main question to the exerts here (and this I did learn for this forum): given what I already have in my system, what tube amp would be a good match for me? My pre-amp is a SS Threshold, JM Lab speakers with a "minimum impedance of 4 Ohms," EAR 834P phono stage, & Unison tube cd player.
Much appreciated.
ebuzz
ebuzz OP
104 posts
 
So, my Jolida 1000P tube amp arrived and I'm just beginning to getting it broken in. I had an issue with a low hum. I wasn't sure if it was a natural noise from the tubes or a problem. It was an almost imperceptible hum that you could only hear if you put your ear right up next to the speaker. It got worse when I connected the preamp so I put a cheater plug on the preamp and it's all but gone. Probably just a ground loop.
Also, I changed from my SS preamp and bought a BAT VK-51 SE tubed preamp. Now, I'm all tubes!
I only have less than 20 hrs on the amp so it's not nearly broken in yet.
Looking forward to getting it going.
Now, soon I'll need to ask about tube buffers, stock or add on feet or blocks for the preamp, vibrapods, or whatever etc...
wolf_garcia
6,631 posts
 
I have Vibrapods (or their equivalent) under everything...under my main speakers, amp, DAC, me, etc. You can find relatively inexpensive sorbothane stick-on feet if you look around. The ones under my Jolida are some heavier duty sorbothane things that pre-date pods but are substantial enough for the weight and don't squash out so much. Enjoy your tubes...I've said before, tubes and tube owners are more fun.
ebuzz OP
104 posts
 
I hope we're more fun, Wolf. I went for the complete mod on the Jolida that included
"4 EAR compliant Sorbothane isolation feet" to replace the stock feet plus I have it sitting on a Mapleshade type dense wood block. So that might be enough for that piece.
ejman's avatar
ejman
62 posts
 
Very interesting to read about your trek thru the tube amp wilderness Ebuzz. Would love to hear your impressions as things settle in.

I started a somewhat similar trek 2 weeks ago by getting an upgraded Jolida 502P- I've had it for about 2 weeks now. Breaking in nicely and have been comparing it to my recently repaired Conrad Johnson MF 2300A SS amp. Totally different presentations. The CJ has a lot more power into my Maggie 1.7 but I really don't notice a difference in power so much as a difference in presentation.

The CJ has a darker smoother presentation with more powerful bass (not surprising at about 500 watts into the 4 ohm load of the Maggies vs 60 for the Jolida). The highs and general stage detail are more noticeable from the Jolida and the soundstage is a bit deeper and surprisingly more 3D. Am really amazed how two amps can sound so different and yet I like the presentation from both.

My intention when I bought the Jolida (My first excursion into power amp tubes) was simply to get a starting point of reference with a tube amp at a very reasonable cost and then decide where to go from there. After 2 weeks I'm really liking the Jolida 502P and I'm amazed that it can compete so effectively with a much more expensive amp. Fun times!

Wolf, I put in Vibrapods under my 502 at your suggestion- nice!
ebuzz OP
104 posts
 
Yes, EJ, it's been an interesting experience making the switch from SS to tube. Since I'm still breaking-in my components,it's a little early to give a full evaluation, but I have noticed an improvement in depth and sound stage even at this early juncture. More to come....
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