Tubes

[02audionoob]

Suppose I get a tube preamp or integrated amp and I plan to use an external phono stage. Does it make more sense to get a tube phono stage or a solid state? I'm wondering if I'd want to avoid adding tube sound on top of tube sound or if that's a non-issue. I don't know the specific components that will be involved with any of this. Could be Audio Research, Prima Luna, Conrad-Johnson. The primary source in this system would be the turntable, although I'm thinking ahead about that upcoming Music Hall DAC.

[Kevio]

Do you like the sound of tubes or do you really like the sound of tubes?

Seriously, there should be synergy between the different stages of your signal chain. Ideally you'd try different combinations until you find what gets along with what and find a combination that you really like.

[02audionoob]

Do you like the sound of tubes or do you really like the sound of tubes?

I have to say I like the sound of tubes...not that I really like the sound of tubes. I'm wondering if the tube thing can be somehow compounded. Say you take an ARC tube phono stage and run it into an ARC tube line stage and an ARC tube amp. Will you get tube sound compounded or tube sound synergized?

[theaudiohobby]

I have to say I like the sound of tubes...not that I really like the sound of tubes. I'm wondering if the tube thing can be somehow compounded. Say you take an ARC tube phono stage and run it into an ARC tube line stage and an ARC tube amp. Will you get tube sound compounded or tube sound synergized?

No, therefore get the phono stage and linestage you like most irrespective of whether its tube or SS. tube sound is a non-issue. An all ARC amplification chain has very good change of working well as the likelihood of incompatibility due to impedance mismatch should be relatively low.

[Mr Peabody]

An interesting question and I think I lean toward what TAH was saying, it depends on the components. I had a Krell 280cd when I started playing with tubes. I picked up an Audio Note 1.1x tube DAC and I preferred it over the Krell's internal DAC. Better is subjective, there were trade offs but in the end the AN was nicer to listen to. When I went with the CJ amplification the system had synergy and I kept it that way until my transport went out it sent me into the audio shop where I heard my current T+A which happens to be solid state. It also has synergy in my system. I also have a solid state CJ DAC in another system, this DAC sounded pretty good with Krell gear, I thought it would be interesting to put it on the front of my CJ system to have an all CJ sound. Oddly, I did not care for that DAC in the system with the other CJ gear. It wasn't bad, but something didn't sit right with me about it. Others may have heard all of these combos and came out with totally different likes and observations as well. All of this to try to illustrate as TAH said it's more in a components ability to perform and synergy with the components it is hooked to than what's inside the chasis.

I believe it was Musical Fidelity that came out with a CD player that had two internal DAC's, one tube and one solid state. This may be the only way we might come close to comparing apples to apples.

[02audionoob]

One aspect of this equation will be filled in, soon. UPS is in the process of bringing me an Audio Research CA50.

[Mr Peabody]

Good deal.

[hydroman]

For the main bus amp - yes the tubes make a noticable difference.

For the very low-level amplification of the pre-amp? Nah. IMHO