Agreed @jcarcopo. I wanted the same exact thing being a strong tube guy for decades. I still work on tube amps and love them! Two things just made the combo not work for me.
- something about the analog outs on my 2170 combined with the ICs just in the end sounded... well, less good. I tried with several and felt less connected to the music and performance. These tube amps were great as an FYI. The unit seems built and finessed to play best on its own. Hope you find differently with your 3400. Perhaps since the piece is a powered digital amp meant to keep the signal digital from beginning to end. By end I am just before the internal speaker outputs. With the 2170 some SQ is lost through the analog outs. No doubt about it. Is the 3400 the same? I would think so, but perhaps not. @kdude......Kenny, found this to also be the case when trying various amps with his Lyngdorf.
- The hassle factor is very high to swap amps with the ICs now in play and switching of speaker cables. Also you need to run room Perfect with each set up and save. Cannot use the one unit setting for your other amps as they impart their own sound and impact on the room. Also, the 2170 always stayed on for best sound and I never had to worry about heat or anything with this cool running 25 watt pulling piece.
Anyway, just my experience. I still get tube amps in here to work on and will never stop loving all that is tubes! Not trying to push you to like this or that and really do hope the 3400 is also magic with your tube amp. Nice to change things up....at least theoretically 😄
- something about the analog outs on my 2170 combined with the ICs just in the end sounded... well, less good. I tried with several and felt less connected to the music and performance. These tube amps were great as an FYI. The unit seems built and finessed to play best on its own. Hope you find differently with your 3400. Perhaps since the piece is a powered digital amp meant to keep the signal digital from beginning to end. By end I am just before the internal speaker outputs. With the 2170 some SQ is lost through the analog outs. No doubt about it. Is the 3400 the same? I would think so, but perhaps not. @kdude......Kenny, found this to also be the case when trying various amps with his Lyngdorf.
- The hassle factor is very high to swap amps with the ICs now in play and switching of speaker cables. Also you need to run room Perfect with each set up and save. Cannot use the one unit setting for your other amps as they impart their own sound and impact on the room. Also, the 2170 always stayed on for best sound and I never had to worry about heat or anything with this cool running 25 watt pulling piece.
Anyway, just my experience. I still get tube amps in here to work on and will never stop loving all that is tubes! Not trying to push you to like this or that and really do hope the 3400 is also magic with your tube amp. Nice to change things up....at least theoretically 😄