tubes and movies

[vivisimonvi]

For experimentation purposes (and no cost whatsoever), if you have a PC that can hook up to your main system, I'd suggest to check out a tube preamplifier to download if you have music on your PC (the one I have is free)...

I've never heard a true tube amplifier, nor claim to be an expert, but from my experience with a PREAMP tube from my PC to my system, the sound gives you that full, warm, and good bass type of feeling, MUCH better depth than my solid equipment ever was capable of IMHO. Understand that I use a SOLID STATE amplifier rated at 120 wpc to drive the "tube" signal. I now think of it as a 120 wpc tube amp... any real tube amp with that much power would cost a fortune.

If you want suggestions I can post where you can find some online...

I think solid state would be best for movies as they are more detailed and meant to be heard rather than felt (that's what a subwoofer is for anyways as topspeed pointed out)... for that reason I don't think I've ever heard of a Dolby Digital tube receiver...

[RGA]

A tube amp will do movies just fine...but again you need to carefully match.

Look I don't want to plug my own speakers every post...because I get tired of doing it. But I suggest you try and listen to an Audio Note full Single Ended Triode set-up. Chances are you nor I coud afford it but that is not the point.

Go and listen to their AN E SEC speakers with their integrated or separates system...whichever amp set up will be under 20 watts. The speakers have more bass than the B&W Nautilus 801 despite the fact that the B&W is a 3 way and has a 15 inch woofer compared to the Audio note's 8 incher. Listen to that B&W with any 200 watt amp set-up you care to name - Krell Bryston Musical FIdelity franly I don't care what you choose.

Then move over to the Audio Note speakers with the 10-20 watt amp. This system was easily better to my ear dynamically, clearer less distorted bass lines, and integrated sound from top to bottom that the N801 while good was not up to the AN E.

The point is not that you can afford the system, but that you can really hear what tubes can do.

Basically you need a frame of reference. Right now you're bouncing two speakers around plus two entirely different amplifiers with totally different sounds with no clear objective. You could end up buying and within 6 months be on here again because you're not happy.

This article was posted over a three month span in the mid 1990s in positive feedback magazine. It's worth your time because anyone whether they're an audiophile or not can do it...best of all you'll never need trust an audio magazine ever again...most of the time they're not trustworthy...no offense bu Musical Fidelity must be paying Stereophile something good because they simply are not that good. http://www.audionote.co.uk/anp1.htm

[magictooth]

http://www.audionote.co.uk/anp1.htm

Mtry, should read this article. I'm sure he'd be hopping up and down in front of his monitor screaming, "I demand A/B DBTs. How can people not believe in DBTs?"

About the original post with regards to tube vs. SS musicality, I believe as the other posters do that you can't make such a sweeping generalization at all. I've heard some really unmusical tubes and some really fuzzy sounding SS amps. If you're set on getting a tube amp, I'd recommend Audiomat. I've heard the Audiomat Prelude Reference on a couple different systems, and it sounded great each time. I've got the Solfege Reference and I wouldn't unload it unless I got a really sweet offer (money talks, I suppose).

Check out audiogon for a good deal on an amp to match your new speakers. If you can't audition any amps, maybe look for a used amp that have been positively recommended with your speaker set up.