Hornas

Just to give an update, I bought a Norh SE 9 tube amp and hooked it up to my Marantz. Works great! Thanks everybody for your replies.

So this approach works equally well with small or large speakers?

I was hesitant to upgrade the crossovers on my Fortes (made in 1986), but when I did, I was blown away by the improvement. The sound became more open, pleasant, cohesive, with less distortion and fatigue. I think the new crossovers made my speakers smoother instead of harsher. I used Bob Crites crossovers btw.

To connect the amp to preouts on receiver, does it have to be a power amp, or can it also be an integrated amp? If it is an integrated amp, does it need to some special bypass mode for its own preamp stage? Does this even matter?

That's what I was thinking too. One of my setups is comprised of: Computer --> external DAC with Vol capability --> SET tube amp. And how do you like it? What tube amp are you running? I would consider this as being the ideal but I am firm believer in less is better. I do use a tube preamp because I catch my sub signal from the preamp before the power amp even though my SET does not actually need a preamp. I have tried it both ways, with and without preamp and there is not a lot of difference that I can hear but probably better without a preamp if is it not actually needed. Most do as you have stated in that a tube preamp is used with a SS amp and I do like this combination better. It is not many times I have heard anyone actually wanting to use a SS pre with a tube amplifier not that it cannot be done. Try it and see how you like it. I guess that is the question, which has the greater impact to sound - tube preamp or amp. I am inclined to think it is the amp since it is the final step before speakers. Sounds like the best thing is to just try it. Thanks everybody for your thoughts.

I think the Marantz is very good sound quality wise. I listen to music from my computer, running HDMI to the Marantz receiver. I see a lot of people using tube preamps with SS amps, but not the other way around, so not sure if it makes sense. What is the ideal way to enjoy a SET tube amp with digital source? Something like this? Computer --> external DAC --> tube preamp --> SET tube amp Computer --> external DAC --> integrated SET tube amp, or a SET tube amp that does not require a preamp What I am proposing is: Computer --> receiver --> SET tube amp So using a quality receiver between a digital source and the tube amp would be a limitation on realizing the benefits of SET sound? The way I am looking at it is that the receiver solves a number of problems in the chain, including a DAC, remote volume control, source switching, equalizing, processing, etc...all I'm really changing is the actual amplification stage from the internal receiver amplification to the tube amp.

Does it make sense to use a receiver as a preamp for tube SET amplification? I am currently driving a pair of Fortes with a Marantz SR7008 receiver. Sounds wonderful as it is, but I am intrigued by SET tube amps and the type of sound they are said to deliver. Do I need a tube preamp or an integrated SET amp to get the maximum benefit, or am I OK using my receiver to control everything and just connecting some SET amps from Marantz preamp outs to the Fortes? Thanks for any insight