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I have a simple set-up in my TV room, basically Triangle Antals with a Creek integrated. I just got the Triangles, my second set. Anyway it just wasn't doing it for me. I'm use to an all tube systems with my Triangles. So I plugged in a Chinese buffer with two Sovtek 6SN7GT tubes. So far so good, more testing to come.
So what's the word? Waste of time or a miracle machine?
Edits: 04/10/17Follow Ups:
OK I plugged a pair of new Tung-Sol Russian tubes (6NS7GTB) into my buffer. Very nice. It gives just a taste of "tube" sound. Not as good as all tube mono-blocks but pretty reasonable. I'll be good for now.
I'm still evaluating. I have some different tubes coming just to try out. It's not going to be as nice as an all tube system but I'm going in the right direction....I think. I'm hooked in through the tape monitor so it's easy to click in and out. I can turn it off for when I'm just watching tv. Give me another week and I'll report back.
iFi makes some good ones.
NT
Yes, I've been happily using a 1st gen unit for over a year, between a DAC and preamp. The 2nd gen is said to be a nice upgrade from that.
A decent one will sound a whole lot better than an SS amp with a tube buffer.
I ended up selling the MF (musical fidelity) 2 weeks later
I bought mine, gave it a best shot including the "optional better tubes", sold it a few weeks later. One of us probably sold it to the other. :)
I use a Yaqin tube buffer, once in awhile. I think it sounds really good, especially for SACD. In between SACD and my preamp.
Hi, Russ,
I used an Eastern Electric Mini-max BBA tube buffer with my CD player for years and really enjoyed the improvement in sound. Euphonic distortion? You bet it was euphonic, that's what made it sound so good!
But I recently upgraded my integrated amplifier with a separate tube preamp and Class D power amp and found that I didn't need the BBA buffer anymore. In fact, with two tube components inline the sound became a bit too euphonic so now the BBA sits idle. But your question got me to thinking that I may use the BBA with the CD player in the small system in our living room.
Bottom line: Use the tube buffer if it improves the sound. But you already knew that. '-)
Regards,
Tom
Hello Tom,
Please let me know if you want to sell the BBA.?
Thanks in advance,
twochanneldave
russ69-
actually, the Triangle/Creek combo is excellent for tube buffer is needed.
If you want a certain "sound" play around w/ cabling.
I am really looking forward to your results.... I also would prefer the overall presentation of a transparent tube section... but after trying a few affordable tube preamps, buffers, and CD players... I still come back to my AudioGD ss preamp to recover the seemingly missing details...
A gainless (follower type) tube stage uses degeneration feedback (100%) and can sound blameless.
IME&O they do need to have very good PSUs to sound good.
You might be better off with a tube pre that has a big regulated PSU and a follower output stage.
Warmest
Tim Bailey
Skeptical Measurer & Audio Scrounger
I've used one for about 6 years. Try Bugle Boys with it. I like it.
Not the same as when I had a Counterpoint and Mac combo but it is a fraction of the price.
If you like it keep it, if not don't.
Plus tube rolling will have an effect.
Asking here will only cloud your judgement as everyone has an opinion they certainly aren't shy to share.
But there are no miracle machines.
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" -Michael McClure
I grilled and ate two hamburgers yesterday, one for lunch, and the second for dinner. I put stone ground mustard on one, but not on the the other. Which one should I have enjoyed more?
personally I like THIS mustard.
They have stone ground too, but I don't care for stone ground mustard, so I'm pretty sure which burger I would have enjoyed more.
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" -Michael McClure
I suppose the least I can do is thank you for the head's up on Maille. I'll be sure and ask for their Black truffle and Chablis mustard on my next hot water hot dog, the next time I'm dining at a New York City street vending cart.
A bargain at only $43 for 4.4 oz, I'd be simply mad not to try it!
and if someone hadn't gifted the dijon I never would have sought it out.
Once we tried it though, we were hooked.
So I'm staying FAR away from the truffle and chablis.
'sides only truffles I like are chocolate.
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" -Michael McClure
I checked Amazon this morning and the Maille Dijon is a more safe and sane $10 for 13.4 oz. I'll order some soon, thanks!
I've never had the pleasure of an authentic truffle, but since I like mushrooms, and given that I'm a fungi, I would like to try them. Not that I could afford to, but I would like to.
Buffering by nature.
Severius! Supremus Invictus
More like a mud machine as others have stated.
I owned a couple vacuum tube CD players from Cary. The Cary CD-308T used tubes in the DAC I-V converter stage and as a gain stage. It sounded wonderful. Their newer and much more expensive CD-303/300 only used tube buffers in the output stage. It sounded muffled or veiled.
Forget tube buffers. Buy a good - i.e., non-Chinese - integrated amp
instead. You'll be happier. Think Rogue.
After reading magazine(s) raves about the unit, I bought in. Horrible, muddy... sounded like I placed a non-needed piece of equipment between good pieces of equipment. :) Tried different tubes, nope. Good bye.
If it works for you and you enjoy listening to music with it who is anyone to tell you you're wrong.
The point of this entire game is for you to enjoy your music. You can analyze this shyt to death or you can find something that makes you happy.
I'd rather something deemed inaccurate or a noise generator that reproduces music that I like over the most technically superb measuring sytem ever created by man or God that irritates me after 5 minutes or forces me to shelve 99% of my albums.
As a tube guy you probably know this train of arguing since SS is perfect sound forever and tubes are just happy euphoric distortion.
A buffer is an additive stage in most cases. A tube pre can be better but also probably a lot more money (if it's a good pre).
Aren't these for impedance mismatches?
in practice, the cheap ones seem to be intended primarlil to generate euphonic distortion :-(
all the best,
mrh
I'd only recommend it if the primary symptom is listener fatigue...... Or a system which sounds nice, but you feel like turning it off after half an hour of listening.
I would NOT recommend it if the system already uses all tubes (no solid state stages in source, line stage, or amplification) or if all the sources are analog.
Mud generators
Waste of time. Get a tube pre
Alan
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