richieb Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 What is general feeling on mixing and matching tube and SS amps/pre-amps. I am considering a tube pre with a McIntosh SS power amp. What problems can I run into? Is it the tube pre or tube power that gives you the "tube" sound? Or a combination of both? Then again I have always liked integrated amps, owned a Cayin TA-30 and it sounded pretty fair but would like to make a considerable upgrade and looking at seperates is in the plans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 Real men use all tubes[] But seriously SS amps with a tube pre can sound very good. Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 What SS amps would you say are better than VRDs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 What SS amps would you say are better than VRDs? Here is the complete list . . . . . . . . . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Flynn Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 What SS amps would you say are better than VRDs? Gee long list...NOT! As long as you are not trying to fill up an airplane hangar with music with less than 90 db efficient speakers; VRDs are more than enough amp. I would say tube preamp as a first acquisition to get a phono stage. Call me a tube snob but I have never heard a SS phono strage I liked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 You are on the right track. I agree that very good results can be had with a tube pre and SS power amp. A JM preamp would be such an upgrade as you are thinking about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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