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Bang for the Buck

Posted by Triode_Kingdom (A) on July 10, 2016 at 14:27:22

OK, here's a hypothetical...

Let's say you have a friend who's skeptical about the advantages of tubes. He's open-minded though, more than willing to consider that there might be something better than the latest sand-based devices. To prove to your friend what those of us here on this forum already know, you want to conjure up the absolute best that tubes have to offer in terms of realism and nuance. Headphone use is permitted for this demonstration, so high amplifier/SPL power levels aren't required, and the associated cost of such isn't a factor. On the other hand, given only the restriction of common availability, expensive tubes, output transformers and power supply topology are welcome.

Because a demonstration like this would require optimizing the entire listening system, many of the questions that come to my mind involve more than the amplifier itself. For example, which headphones are most compatible and lifelike with tube gear? Also, assuming one has a "perfect" tube amplifier and perfect phones, what about the source material? Is there a most appropriate era of music and type of media for this? I know some of the early solid state recordings are truly awful, but beyond that, I'm not sure when the various artists and labels transitioned away from all-tube recordings. I also can't say with authority whether all of them went through that same phase of degradation, or whether more modern recordings and media have entirely remedied this situation. Is it necessary to locate near-mint vinyl from the '50s or '60s to create the best possible source, or will certain contemporary recordings do as well?

Any opinions on this from other inmates would be very welcome. The amplifier especially - because that's what I do - is a topic on which I'd like to hear more. In addition to the fact that perfect amplification is my primary field of endeavor, once the amplifier is optimized in the above terms, other parts of the system are more easily evaluated.

So, if you were asked to assemble the finest possible low-power stereo reproduction system, what would it be?

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Kimber Kable

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