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I drank the Electric Tube Amp Kool-Aid!

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Posted on October 30, 2020 at 16:58:12
catbert242000@yahoo.com
Audiophile

Posts: 268
Location: Puerto Rico
Joined: April 17, 2006
 Yup, I drank the electric tube amp kool-aid -- a mind expanding experience!!

Just received my first tube preamp and power amp. Set up the equipment and the first vinyl album played was my favorite - The dark side of the moon. WOW

I guess I really did not know what to expect, having lived on SS for my entire life. I really liked my Marantz, until the day the music died. With the passing of the Marantz, a decision was forced on me - replace w SS, repair or replace with tubes. Took a gamble on the tube option, man what a rush.

The sound quality really is a tremendous improvement, the expanded sound stage, clarity, detail, richness is hard to describe, but it has me blown away!

The tube power amp sounded wonderful when first installed with my cheap phono pre amp; then the next day the tube preamp arrived and was set up. The full tube sound has really given me an appreciation of " liquid sound" (can't think of a better adjective)!

The power is also impressive; the amp is only 6watts. - but the volume knob at only 30% was rocking!!

I'm hooked -- now I'm looking forward to reviewing my old vinyl collection, lots of classical and jazz records need to be explored.

After we get settled in with the tubes, I'll post an update at some point.

a happy Merry Prankster ;-)




 

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RE: I drank the Electric Tube Amp Kool-Aid!, posted on October 30, 2020 at 18:15:28
immatthewj
 Congratulations!!!
But you haven't updated your profile, so what did you buy?

 

RE: I drank the Electric Tube Amp Kool-Aid!, posted on October 31, 2020 at 11:53:01
catbert242000@yahoo.com
Audiophile

Posts: 268
Location: Puerto Rico
Joined: April 17, 2006
 Musical Paradise. MP-2, & MP301 MK3 with upgrade tubes

At only 6.5watts, it has power to spare - the volume knob hasn't been up past 1/3 (and at that level it is very very loud). .I am impressed

If I run a CD player thur the tubes, will it sound as good as the vinyl? Or any other source for that matter??




 

RE: I drank the Electric Tube Amp Kool-Aid!, posted on October 31, 2020 at 12:23:26
immatthewj
 The vinyl boys will tell you, "No way!"
The manufacturers & dealers of tubed CD players will tell you that their products do sound vinylish.

Go to Uncle Kevin's site & read the reviews that he has posted about The Prima Luna Classic Prologue 8.

Personally, I don't know. the last time I had a turntable I was in the Air Force in 1982 with a Magnavox rack system & back then our idea of critical listening was to crank it up until it was clipping real bad & then back it off a hair or two. The second CD player that I subsequently owned was a Carver (one of their Pacific Rim models) with 6DJ8 in the output stage, but I don't think that was really much of a CD player & that was early in my path down the sickness known as "audiophilia".

 

RE: I drank the Electric Tube Amp Kool-Aid!, posted on October 31, 2020 at 12:27:22
immatthewj
 Upgraded tubes--you got the Gold Lions?

 

RE: I drank the Electric Tube Amp Kool-Aid!, posted on October 31, 2020 at 12:31:36
immatthewj
 I gotta hit the shower & get out the door, so I only did a cursory search & am not finding much on the preamp, but it looks as if you fullfilled your desire & stayed around your budget.

Congratulations!

 

RE: I drank the Electric Tube Amp Kool-Aid!, posted on October 31, 2020 at 12:44:06
immatthewj
 Here you go, a CD player LOADED with tubes:

https://upscaleaudio.com/products/primaluna-prologue-classic-cd-player

Read the customer reviews & take them for what they are worth.
This had peaked my interest last winter, as my digital front end was (& is) about 25 years old & obsessive compulsive upgrade syndrome disorder was kicking in. (You will want to beware of that one.) Ultimately I elected to leave the tubes in the preamp & amp section of my system & I took a deeper plunge & bought a Marantz SA10.

An inmate of the asylum, Sondek, has the Prima Luna & he has told me that he likes it.
He did not tell me, however, that it sounds as good to him as vinyl.

 

RE: I drank the Electric Tube Amp Kool-Aid!, posted on November 1, 2020 at 09:12:13
Sondek
Audiophile

Posts: 9623
Location: Fort Worth
Joined: May 17, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 The PL CD is very vinyl-like. After some tweaks and an extended period of tube combo vetting, my PL CD machine has closed the gap to my vinyl setup considerably. Although the vinyl system still trumps it by a considerable margin. However, if the investment in each is a factor, my vinyl should sound better.

 

RE: I drank the Electric Tube Amp Kool-Aid!, posted on November 1, 2020 at 22:24:07
immatthewj
 Catbert, I have no doubt at all in my mind that you did read the manual that came with your amp, but do not forget that if you do not have one you will need to get a meter that reads DC Ma to check & set & then OCCASIONALLY recheck your amp's bias.

 

RE: I drank the Electric Tube Amp Kool-Aid!, posted on November 3, 2020 at 20:52:54
immatthewj
 Disregard my last post, Catbert; I was just on the Musical Paradise site & that amp does feature auto-biasing.
I hope I didn't unduly alarm you.
Sorry 'bout that.

 

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