Who here has switched to tubes? 2channel

[ematthews]

Just wondering something. I purchased a Primaluna HP Integrated tube amp about 10 months ago. I can say now that it does sound better than my ATI Parasound P5 combination. I can not put my finger on it but can only say like their website says. It makes music breath. So much life or wide soundstage. I can not explain it in pro terms. I own both systems and use both all the time. Primaluna powering my RBH Sound towers and my ATI P5 combo running the Ascend RAAL towers with ML Grotto sub... I love both for different reasons.

I have since picked up a few new LP's as some of the music I listen to is only available in an MP3 download or by buying the LP. Weird, I know, but I listen to a lot of Post Modern rock where groups are from Poland, Spain and NZ. I have an inventory of old LP's I am getting from some family.. A huge collection too.I haven't pulled the trigger on the new Pro-Ject carbon yet. I am wondering from fellow forum members here if they thought that LP brought more life to the soundstage over CD? Kind of like Tube from Solid State for me.

 

[PENG]

Just wondering something. I purchased a Primaluna HP Integrated tube amp about 10 months ago. I can say now that it does sound better than my ATI Parasound P5 combination. I can not put my finger on it but can only say like their website says. It makes music breath. So much life or wide soundstage. I can not explain it in pro terms. I own both systems and use both all the time. Primaluna powering my RBH Sound towers and my ATI P5 combo running the Ascend RAAL towers with ML Grotto sub... I love both for different reasons.

I have since picked up a few new LP's as some of the music I listen to is only available in an MP3 download or by buying the LP. Weird, I know, but I listen to a lot of Post Modern rock where groups are from Poland, Spain and NZ. I have an inventory of old LP's I am getting from some family.. A huge collection too.I haven't pulled the trigger on the new Pro-Ject carbon yet. I am wondering from fellow forum members here if they thought that LP brought more life to the soundstage over CD? Kind of like Tube from Solid State for me.

Time and time again I found the recording itself determines the ultimate sound quality whether the media is CD, LP, or digital files so it is really hard to compare the two media. I hardly use my Pro-Ject Xpression III but I do need it.

Why did it take you so long to conclude that the Primaluna integrated sound better than the ATI/P5?

 

[ematthews]

I agree with the recordings. Take a popular group in recent times and compare it to a Porcupine Tree CD. Steven Wilson has the best production sound in the business.

 

[ski2xblack]

Tubes don't get much love in these parts, and reasonably so, as tubes are an anachronism these days, and the commercial side of the tube realm is completely under control of the Dark Side. But having had the chance to look up the skirt of a Prima Luna amp, and having rolled a few of my own, they are very well done (lead dress, wiring layout, etc, you know, the sort of thing that makes my home brew amps look like a real birds nest).

 

[highfigh]

Just wondering something. I purchased a Primaluna HP Integrated tube amp about 10 months ago. I can say now that it does sound better than my ATI Parasound P5 combination. I can not put my finger on it but can only say like their website says. It makes music breath. So much life or wide soundstage. I can not explain it in pro terms. I own both systems and use both all the time. Primaluna powering my RBH Sound towers and my ATI P5 combo running the Ascend RAAL towers with ML Grotto sub... I love both for different reasons.

I have since picked up a few new LP's as some of the music I listen to is only available in an MP3 download or by buying the LP. Weird, I know, but I listen to a lot of Post Modern rock where groups are from Poland, Spain and NZ. I have an inventory of old LP's I am getting from some family.. A huge collection too.I haven't pulled the trigger on the new Pro-Ject carbon yet. I am wondering from fellow forum members here if they thought that LP brought more life to the soundstage over CD? Kind of like Tube from Solid State for me.

There's a phenomenon with tubes that use a tube rectifier called 'bloom' from hard, sustained increase in the input level and it's usually caused by voltage sag. I would say it's better for guitar amps- I want an amp for music reproduction to have a very stout power supply.

Have you tried using the P5 as the preamp and the new piece for its power amp?

 

[Poultrygeist]

If you have high efficiency speakers SET amps can produce startling resolution.

They use no negative feedback, run in class A and their circuit is the simplest with fewer parts in the signal path.

 

[ski2xblack]

Startling resolution, or merely embellished by the amp's misbehavior? I would suggest the latter.

Admittedly, I find SET amps to be among the most fun and expectation-defying sound processors out there, but I have to look at them as just that, processors. I suppose in the spirit of this thread I should disclose that I do have a SET/horn rig, so I smell what you're steppin' in.

But I've also rolled my own and know exactly what they do, hence the "processor" label. I feel obliged to point that out in a thread such as this, which could potentially be fertile ground for the more religious tube craziness to take root in. Just trying to keep that at bay.

 

[slipperybidness]

Startling resolution, or merely embellished by the amp's misbehavior? I would suggest the latter.

Admittedly, I find SET amps to be among the most fun and expectation-defying sound processors out there, but I have to look at them as just that, processors. I suppose in the spirit of this thread I should disclose that I do have a SET/horn rig, so I smell what you're steppin' in.

But I've also rolled my own and know exactly what they do, hence the "processor" label. I feel obliged to point that out in a thread such as this, which could potentially be fertile ground for the more religious tube craziness to take root in. Just trying to keep that at bay.

Eh, just a different and less accurate approach.

Most of us on AH are firm believers in the gospel of ruler-flat accuracy and amps with incredible damping factors. I think these items are absolutely necessary so that you always have that as a reference for "good audio reproduction".

But, yeah, I have my tube gear and other less accurate gear too (turntable), and I enjoy it just as much (but in a different way) than my modern SS and digi gear.

 

[ematthews]

Eh, just a different and less accurate approach.

Most of us on AH are firm believers in the gospel of ruler-flat accuracy and amps with incredible damping factors. I think these items are absolutely necessary so that you always have that as a reference for "good audio reproduction".

But, yeah, I have my tube gear and other less accurate gear too (turntable), and I enjoy it just as much (but in a different way) than my modern SS and digi gear.

I do as well. That's why I have two set ups. The P5 Parasound Pre amp with my ATI amp and Ascend RAAL towers are very very very good. I also use them when I want to listen to very well recorded items like Porcupine Tree and other Prog music. When I don't care about being to critical I jam out on the Primaluna and RBH..

 

[Poultrygeist]

SET amps aren't for everyone but for a few they can become that final destination amp.

Remarkable sense of realism, delicate refinement, but with speed, textures, clarity and cohesiveness. It would be difficult to conceive of an amp better suited for the resolution of detail at low levels.

Speaker selection is everything. Here a 2a3 SET drives my Lowthers in bi-amped open baffles.

 

[djreef]

Is that cork board on the face of your speakers?

 

[Poultrygeist]

No it's heavy wall paper over MDF.

 

[djreef]

Oooooooo! That's Grooooovy!

 

[Poultrygeist]

Since cork was mentioned it's a good deadening material for baffles.

Germaine to this thread is a bi-amped system. Bottlehead SET driving the Tang Bands/tweets and solid state power for the woofers via an active crossover. The best of both worlds i.e. ss power and tube finesse.

 

[djreef]

Ya, that's what I was thinking. I know a number of companies have used foam with varying degrees of success.

Cork seems like it would be a cheap way to deaden and diffuse both at the same time.

DJ

 

[CDogg]

Just wondering something. I purchased a Primaluna HP Integrated tube amp about 10 months ago. I can say now that it does sound better than my ATI Parasound P5 combination. I can not put my finger on it but can only say like their website says. It makes music breath. So much life or wide soundstage. I can not explain it in pro terms. I own both systems and use both all the time. Primaluna powering my RBH Sound towers and my ATI P5 combo running the Ascend RAAL towers with ML Grotto sub... I love both for different reasons.

I have since picked up a few new LP's as some of the music I listen to is only available in an MP3 download or by buying the LP. Weird, I know, but I listen to a lot of Post Modern rock where groups are from Poland, Spain and NZ. I have an inventory of old LP's I am getting from some family.. A huge collection too.I haven't pulled the trigger on the new Pro-Ject carbon yet. I am wondering from fellow forum members here if they thought that LP brought more life to the soundstage over CD? Kind of like Tube from Solid State for me.

The Primaluna has been on my short list for a long time. However, our finances cannot afford me to spend that much. I have a Jolida JD202 tube integrated that performs extraordinary well. At 40 WPC, it's enough to drive my Ascend Acoustics CMT-340SE and Focal 806V with efficiency at 90dB. There tends to be a love/hate relationship with Jolida, but I have not had any issues and performance is top notch.

 

[Poultrygeist]

I had this Prima Luna Prologue ( to the right ) on a trial basis for a few weeks. It was ok with good power but not as resolving as I had hoped. IMO there are better less expensive options.

 

[Leroy Jenkins]

I have a primaluna prologue and a yamaha as501. I mostly use the Yamaha. In the winter I use the tube amp to help heat up the room a bit. I guess you could say I switched for a while but switch back!

I don't know about the soundstage question. I think it's more a matter of the production and mastering vs the media delivery method (lp or cd) and then obviously your speakers and room. But how would you know? Who's got the time to compare every release of a particular album in every format in order to find out for sure. Not me! So I say just buy whatever format you like and enjoy. I have both just because you never know what you might find in either format and some things were only released in one or the other. And there are also times where one format has obvious production issues but the other one doesn't.

Personally I've heard good and bad examples of each.

 

[Poultrygeist]

I've had tube amps from Fisher, Scott, Dynaco, Dared, Bada, Yaqin and solid state amps by HK, Pioneer, Kenwood, Sherwood, Marantz and Classe but the best sounding so far are these 2a3 SET Bottlehead mono blocks. Wouldn't be a good choice for most folks on this forum as they make 3.5 wpc. But with the right speakers those few watts can be special.

 

[slipperybidness]

I've had tube amps from Fisher, Scott, Dynaco, Dared, Bada, Yaqin and solid state amps by HK, Pioneer, Kenwood, Sherwood, Marantz and Classe but the best sounding so far are these 2a3 SET Bottlehead mono blocks. Wouldn't be a good choice for most folks on this forum as they make 3.5 wpc. But with the right speakers those few watts can be special.

Yup, a lot of people like the Bottlehead gear.

I have a Quickie Pre myself.