Home Theater with tubes?

Naw. It's loud on the peaks, sure, but average is quite a bit less. Probably a higher peak to average ratio than most styles of music.
 
"The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has recommended that all worker exposures to noise should be controlled below a level equivalent to 85 dBA for eight hours to minimize occupational noise induced hearing loss."
 
Just buy a tube stereo Integrated amplifier (or amp/preamp set) with a Home Theater bypass input and a nice AV receiver with preamp outputs.

When you're listening to home theater, switch to the HT bypass input, and you're rocking...the signal passes through the tube integrated amp (or preamp/amp combo) then on to your main speakers- volume is controlled by the Home Theater product

When listening to stereo, turn off the HT bypass mode, and you've effectively disconnected the dHome Theater processing from the stereo rig...you'll only be able to listen to sources connected to the Stereo Integrated amplifier (or preamp/amp combo) but that's what you're looking for. Perfect compromise

This is exactly what I do, minus the bypass. I set my Tube Pre at 12 o'clock before running the calibration and feed it with the HT Pre Outs. All volume is controlled from the AVR, which is good since my VAC has no remote and two volume knobs :) Oh, and I dont always use the matching speakers for fronts, just re-calibrate.
 
I have Tube mono blocks driving the front L&R speakers for both Stereo and HT by doing what has been mentioned already. I use the pre outs on the AVR that run through my Parasound P5 preamplifier that has HT passthrough. This provides me with the best 2 channel listening with the AVR out of the mix and then great HT when needed with the P5 out of the mix and nothing to fiddle around with, just a good clean set up.
 
If you use Mcintosh you can use separate tube power amps. MC 275 for instance. Then you can use a Mac MX SS HT processor, with a tube Mcintosh pre-amp in the by pass mode for stereo reproduction with the tube amps. I would choose the C-2200 for a closer to tube sound. If you want the latest technology you want the C-22 MK III as the Stereo pre-amp, when in that mode. C-2600 will give you the latest Digital processing in the Stereo function.

If you want an even warmer sound you could go back in time and look for restored MC 60's, MC 75 or MC 275 MKI.

If I were being crazy I would buy Audio Classic's three MI-350 tube 350 watt Power Amps, Three JBL 4435, C-22 MK III and for get the HT idea. All you need is the front two channels with a center fill any way. If you want rear ambient sound take the difference signal of the front two channels, L-R , and feed it to two rear ambient speakers with using a separate amp. You'll be amazed.

Musicals such as Sound of Music, or spectaculars, such as Lawrence of Arabia and Ben Hur are fantastic. Sinatra stereo recordings on Verve are fantastic. Mercury and Command classical recordings are winners. Even some of Telarcs and Reference recordings modern digital recordings available on LP are eye awakening.
 
Back
Top Bottom