Do you have both a Solid State and Tube System?

Shadowfax said:
Eric, to be technically honest, my main system is not 100% tubes. The Counterpoint amp is Hybrid so it uses both tubes for input(me thinks) and SS for output, with tube Rectifiers in there somewhere. I don't fully understand the whole topology of it.

There are some pretty decent smaller less expensive gear out there. Steve Monte of Quest for Sound has is own Sound Quest line he builds himself. He has a minimalist little integrated at 15wpc that when paired to some high eficiency speakers, like Omegas or anything 90db and up, it kicks. He also has his own CD player, that can get a custom tube Mod from Granite Audio. Plenty other what I call affordable integrateds out there like the Sound Quest @ $1350 With Headphone circuit.

Quest For Sound - High End Audio
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Good heavens! I would not understand that topology either, but it sounds cool to me.:)

Four digits is just too much for a mere curiosity in my case.
I think my best bet would be to hear some tube gear someday and then decide if it's something I want to play with. However, that isn't likely to happen any time soon either.
 
You have to live near enough to another member here, Eric.

Who can give Eric a Demo out there on the Left Coast?
 
Shadowfax said:
You have to live near enough to another member here, Eric.

Who can give Eric a Demo out there on the Left Coast?
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Nobody, I'm pretty sure. However, I did discover a shop kind of a distance from me, but not real bad that may have tube stuff. However, I don't feel right about going there without intent or ability to purchase and taking up the proprietor's time.
 
MusicDirector said:
Nobody, I'm pretty sure. However, I did discover a shop kind of a distance from me, but not real bad that may have tube stuff. However, I don't feel right about going there without intent or ability to purchase and taking up the proprietor's time.
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Tell the proprietor the truth & I'll bet you a 100-1 he'll say "don't be silly, come on down!"
 
Eric, Do go and explain where you are coming from. Those who don't for one reason or another are why these shops are going bye bye. You are a potential customer trying to educate yourself, and the best way to get educated is to be able to see hear and touch things. I know if it was my shop, I would gladly show you what is available, otherwise it would be a bad sales attitude.
 
MusicDirector said:
Thank you. Yes, I'm looking at Line Magnetic. I just took a look at Prima Luna you suggested and they have one, the Proloque Four at a very good list price right now, but unfortunately it goes up another $300 soon as I am not ready to purchase right now. It's also pretty ugly, sadly.
Like I said, I need education in tubes and such and need to establish a plan if I'm going to dip my toe in the tube waters. I do want to see what is available for a person of my means though so I can make a plan if possible.
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eric check out jolida and dared. they are both pretty good at very reasonable prices.
i might pick up a dared preamp just for to have , its kinda cool
 
me no s/s gear. ive heard a good portion of what is out there , from cheap to 10's of k's, and even though i appreciate it, i just cant sit through more than an hour of it. bass is way too big and hurts my ears. its sharp and piercing, and way too accurate and bright for me. :roflmao: sorry s/s guys just not for me. if it aint smooth and beautiful and sounding good yet easy on the ears, i dont want to hear it. but to each his own.
also i rarely get over the 95db mark, and most of the time i listen in the 90db range. so a big stereo with 300w is not something i would ever have,want or need.
tubes rule!!!! :D if i could get a nice tube amp for my car i would also. haha!!!
 
Shadowfax said:
Eric, Do go and explain where you are coming from. Those who don't for one reason or another are why these shops are going bye bye. You are a potential customer trying to educate yourself, and the best way to get educated is to be able to see hear and touch things. I know if it was my shop, I would gladly show you what is available, otherwise it would be a bad sales attitude.
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I agree. All things being equal, I may be able to get down there in 2 or 3 weeks. Of course he may be disappointed when I don't buy something either that day or if I decide tubes aren't for me. However, I don't know that either and I want the education and chance to hear, that is the only way to come to any conclusion in an intellectually honest way.

In fact, my first question is: Do you have to have special speakers to run a tube based system?
I think I read that one needs to have efficient speakers. I get that, but I may not have that in the speakers I need to use. My speakers are a choice of Polk Monitor 7s or DCM TF-600. I think the DCMs are very warm to begin with and a tube situation would be too warm with them possibly. (Again, I could be wrong and backwards). I don't know the efficiency rate on either the Polks or the DCMs. Both are 8 ohms by the way, if that is a factor as well.
 
Petro85 said:
eric check out jolida and dared. they are both pretty good at very reasonable prices.
i might pick up a dared preamp just for to have , its kinda cool
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Thanks, I never heard of Dared until now. (Kind of funny that "Dared" happens to be the name).:) I just took a look and I like the I-30, it's sort of Steampunk which is what I'm after. (I find the space age looking DV-80 interestng too, but not the look I want if I can get the steampunk look).
I know, looks aren't everything, but it's all I have for right now until I get educated on tubes. Of course I don't know the prices of those either, most likely I'm looking at the $4k to $8k units again or something.:rolleyes:

I'm not crazy about the current Jolidas. I did hear one of their tube phono preamps and didn't like it. Then again, the turntable in the demo was suspect to my ears. First of all they had the preamp hooked into a Classe amp (very nice), but they had it up way too loud for me and I don't think the TT was set up well or properly because there was a lot of distortion and this was a high-end shop.
 
MusicDirector said:
Thanks, I never heard of Dared until now. (Kind of funny that "Dared" happens to be the name).:) I just took a look and I like the I-30, it's sort of Steampunk which is what I'm after. (I find the space age looking DV-80 interestng too, but not the look I want if I can get the steampunk look).
I know, looks aren't everything, but it's all I have for right now until I get educated on tubes. Of course I don't know the prices of those either, most likely I'm looking at the $4k to $8k units again or something.:rolleyes:

I'm not crazy about the current Jolidas. I did hear one of their tube phono preamps and didn't like it. Then again, the turntable in the demo was suspect to my ears. First of all they had the preamp hooked into a Classe amp (very nice), but they had it up way too loud for me and I don't think the TT was set up well or properly because there was a lot of distortion and this was a high-end shop.
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im thinking about this to take the place of my axiom passive volume controller. its around $500, and the fact that i can change the tubes and make it sound better is priceless to me.
and i already have some good ones to run in it.
dared sl2000a
SL-2001.jpg
 
Petro85 said:
im thinking about this to take the place of my axiom passive volume controller. its around $500, and the fact that i can change the tubes and make it sound better is priceless to me.
and i already have some good ones to run in it.
dared sl2000a
SL-2001.jpg
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Is that an amp or just a volume controller? Do I need a separate volume controller as well to do tubes?
 
Both!!

I currently have an AMR CD-777 passing the digital love to my lil' transistor-based Karan Acoustic KA-I 180 integrated amp.
 
I have both Tube and SS in my System and am happy indeed.............going to the C1000T was a nice upgrade over the C50........In a room in my mind the MC2301's are always calling out my name though :blush:
 
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