Powerlight 3 !!!!!

[michael hurd]

Well I got a return call from the dealer today, and a price for the PL380, wish list in canuck land is $ 4400 +, street pricing about $ 3300. Needless to say I think I would just go with dual PLX II 3602's for the cost benefits and thermal headroom.

[Duke Spinner]

Yikes, tubes with a K2? Blasphemy! Ok, maybe not blasphemy...more like a pinch of sugar in a glass of water.

Now, Now .. Who ..

check my Signature line

[DrWho]

But but...what's the point of adding flavor to a clean amp?

[stormin]

But but...what's the point of adding flavor to a clean amp?

But but....what preamp doesn't add flavor?

[DrWho]

That's why I try to avoid preamps altogether []

[stormin]

That's why I try to avoid preamps altogether []

Variable out on cd player? And if so what do you do just split the signal with a y to your sub and your amp?

[Duke Spinner]

But but...what's the point of adding flavor to a clean amp?

Selective EQ ......[]

[DrWho]

That's why I try to avoid

preamps altogether []

Variable out on cd player? And if so

what do you do just split the signal with a y to your sub and your

amp?

Those do exist, but I prefer to run a dedicated DAC feeding directly

into the 2-channel amplifier (they usually have their own volume

control). I never run the subwoofers when in this configuration.

When doing subs, right now I run digital into the reciever and then use

its preouts to drive the 2-channel amp and the subwoofer amps. It is a

compromise, but sometimes the music requires it.

One of these days I hope to design a DAC with digital input that

performs its own crossover functions (so it could allow for active

bi-amping or summable subwoofer operation - or even stereo subwoofage).

I'll probably throw on a remote control too so you can adjust the

volume without needing to get up.

I suppose one could argue that the DAC peforms the role of a pre-amp,

but the circuitry in a DAC always needs to be there. If you can design

it capable of driving the input on an amp instead of a preamp, then you

skip an entire unnecessary stage of amplification. The ability to send

this output to multiple devices (like to an amp and subwoofer amp) is

going to be dependant upon their input impedances. I have also found

that it is very difficult to dial a sub into the naturally decaying

output of a main speaker - likely due to all the phase rotation from

the ports. In other words, running a Y-cable off the output probably isn't going to yield optimal results.

[TheEAR]

But but...what's the point of adding flavor to a clean amp?

A good tube preamp will soften the signal,and round the sound just a bit to make it bloom just a bit. Tubes have this natural ability to color the sound(signal)just the right way.

For acoustic guitars...listen with a great tube amp...ah....

For anything electronic...solid state is king.Solid state is clinical(accurate)...tubes even the most neutral preamps and amps...always introduce an audible "deformation" of the signal.