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Impedance Question: Tube Preamp with SS Power Amp

Having researched this issue with the archived threads, I am still having difficulties understanding the problems of impedance mismatch between Pre and Power amps. As a budding audiophile moving onto my first separates Pre/Power, I want to know more about impedance matching. I have several questions that I hope veterian audiophiles can help me out with.

1)Is the 10:100 ratio between the output impedance of preamp and input impedance of the power amp an absolute rule?

2)What would happen if impedance mismatch do occur? Will the sound be any less satisfying?

3)I understand that Tube preamps generally have higher output impedance values compared to SS, so does that make it problematic to use it with a SS power amp even though tubed preamps are often priased over their SS counterparts?

I ask these questions because I recently purchased a tubed Preamp (Musical Design SP-2B)that has an impedance of 2K Ohms. I want to match that with a SS power amp with an impedance value of 20K Ohms. Am I cutting it too close? (exactlly 10:100 ratio) Or are all of these issues irrevalent and I should just listen to that setup and hear for myself if it would work or not? Thanks in advance for the answers.
speedracerucr
beavis
272 posts
 
Robert Harley's book "The Complete Guide to High End Audio (original version in paperbsck) has an excellent definition of input/output impedance on pages 395-397.

I use a Cary tubed pre-amp & a Musical Design SS power amp without problems. Would suggest you e-mail John Hillig of Musical Design to ask question with impedance value of SS amp. He clarified my concerns.
nrchy's avatar
nrchy
2,124 posts
 
Krell cautions against the use of high impedence pre-amps with thier amps, but they add that some caps can be changed that would allow for the impedence miss-match.
newbee
4,767 posts
 
Answers by the number -

1) No its not an absolute rule is just a general guide

2) Rolloff of the highs and lows - probably some softing of the bass impact

3) I can see no reason why these shouldn't work in theory, but most folks would really want more leeway, like money in the bank so to speak. I've successfully used a 10K impedence amp with a tubed pre in which the manufacturer recommended a minimum of 20K (which was a 40 to 1 ratio). But as a practice, to keep my options open I usually only buy amps with imput impedences of 47K or more. In your place I would want to hear the amp - preamp combo before I commit.
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
Sonic Frontiers preamps have output impedance almost the same as SS preamps. Same with AudioResearch ones.
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