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Tube power amp match SS preamp?

RDSChicago

RDSChicago

Well-Known Member
I am thinking about trying out some tubes. I have a late model NAD preamp. Would it defeat the purpose to try a tube power amp using the NAD solid state preamp? In other words, would I lose the tube "sound" with the solid state preamp?
 
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Heck no. I prefer SS preamps as they tend to be lower noise than tube gear (unless you are spending some serious money). NAD, Kenwood Basic, and Yamaha are all good beer-budget hi-fi preamps. I had an NAD 1130 that was mighty sweet sounding (although it got replaced when I got my hands on a Kenwood C2 Basic).

-D
 
I'm running my SS Onkyo receiver as the preamp for a Bogen tube amp currently. It works fine.
 
RDSChicago said:
In other words, would I lose the tube "sound" with the solid state preamp?
Click to expand...

It's really more a function of how a tube amp is going to interact with your speakers. This is far more important sonically, than how a SS preamp will sound driving a tube amp.

jeff
 
I use a HK Citation eleven pre with an ST-70 in one of my bedroom systems.

Still sounds sweet n tubey to me. :yes:
 
Using a Marantz SR4023 here

Beautiful SS as a pre running into my Velleman Tube power amp...I wouldn't have it any other way...LOL
 
As others have said, it'll work fine. But I think the sound will be more dominated by your pre than your tube amp. So if your pre is bright/edgy, you will (IMO) defeat some of the purpose of a tube amp if your purpose is tubey sound.

When I did comparisons and mixing and matching between a SS pre, tubed pre, SS amp, and tube amp, the preamp dominated the overall sound flavoring/color much more than the amp itself.
 
Im running a Bryston11b into a 60w tube amp and AR11s..sounds pretty nice to me so far. I have had this setup running for the last week..my first bigger tube amp and its a beautifull thing.
 
RDSChicago said:
I am thinking about trying out some tubes. I have a late model NAD preamp. Would it defeat the purpose to try a tube power amp using the NAD solid state preamp? In other words, would I lose the tube "sound" with the solid state preamp?
Click to expand...

Not that I am aware of. I have a McIntosh MX-113 Pre/Tuner controlling my CJ MV-75 Power Amp using KT-90's. Very nice sound!
 
Some say that to preserve that "tube" sound, either use all tube components or at the very least the preamp should be tube. Sounds from reading these posts that many of you are enjoying their tube power amps with solid state preamps. Go figure. I am going to try a Rogue Audio integrated amp with both the preamp and amp stages being tube and will report back. It's the Cronus Magnum and hopefully will present that sound I am imagining tubes will put forth.
 
RDSChicago said:
I am thinking about trying out some tubes. I have a late model NAD preamp. Would it defeat the purpose to try a tube power amp using the NAD solid state preamp? In other words, would I lose the tube "sound" with the solid state preamp?
Click to expand...

Not at all. Almost every source on the market has a SS preamp in it anyway. Even Tube DACs, Phono stages, CDPs use the tubes as an output buffer stage and all the low level signals are SS. As far as I know there's only a handful of all tube Phono Preamps (currently on the market) and no such thing as an all tube DAC. I would say 95% of tube setups out there have a SS front end anyway.

So you'd basically just be adding another SS buffer stage to the SS sources you already have. No harm in that though you might want to try eliminating the preamp altogether at some point!:music:
 
I'm currently experimenting with a Mac C27 ss preamp paired to a MC240 tube amp and I'm liking the combo. Was using the MX110 before and so far I like the C27 better.
 
RDSChicago said:
Some say that to preserve that "tube" sound, either use all tube components or at the very least the preamp should be tube. Sounds from reading these posts that many of you are enjoying their tube power amps with solid state preamps. Go figure. I am going to try a Rogue Audio integrated amp with both the preamp and amp stages being tube and will report back. It's the Cronus Magnum and hopefully will present that sound I am imagining tubes will put forth.
Click to expand...

It very well could. SS pre makes a lot of sense, too!
 
I'm running an Emotiva USP-1 pre into a maggie 196 tube amp and find it to be a very pleasant combination. I find the tube sound is very well preserved and may be due to the last component the signal goes through before the speakers is the power tubes.
 
IMO, if you are just getting you feet wet in tubes, you should start out with a tube preamp or tubed source (like a tube DAC). In any system , whether it be SS or tube, the source and preamp have the greatest effect on the signal. A good power amplifier, again, whether it be SS or tube, should do one thing... amplify the signal it is fed.

To maximize your audible perception of "tube sound", a tube pre would have the greatest difference, and it is a lot cheaper to roll small signal tubes in a preamp than start buying quads of power tubes.
 
Great suggestion! Perhaps a tube DAC would be up my alley since I need a DAC anyway. Any suggestions for tube DAC's?
 
I hate to make any specific recommendations, because I have heard dozens of them (tubed DACs), but I don't own one currently, but if you search the forums, there are a million reviews/comparisons. I use SS DACs and feed them via tube buffers into tube preamps, and on one system... all tube pre and tube amps... even my primary cdp (Carver SD/A 490t) uses a tube output stage...

Good luck experimenting!!!
 
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