2. amps-preamps
  3. 998102392

What tube preamp to get to smooth out the sound?????

Hi have Wadia 850 cdp directly to pair of Odyssey Monoblocks, speakers are NHT 3.3's...Im very happy with the strengths of each component but recently sold a Adcom gfp 750 pre because all I listen to is CD, so I figure why not sell it and go direct..but the sound is not as good as when I had the preamp, direct sounds more hard/etchy , not as smooth as with the pre..I want to buy another pre but get something better than what I had before instead of SS was thinking of getting into tubes to get more warmth/smoothness I want to get rid of any harshness/etchines .... trying to keep it under 2k used, any suggestions from others who had this kind of problem I hear BAT is particulary good...
eantala
suzy
30 posts
 
Hi Angela! Yup, it's me. The same Suzy from AA. After 20 years and more component changes than I can remember, my experience has been that just about anything has the potential to make a big difference in your system. The biggest difference I heard recently was a change in speaker cable -- I replaced $2000 worth of cable with a pair that retailed for about one fourth as much and was shocked at how much better it sounded. It's a myth that you have to always spend more to get better sound. Sometimes you just need to find the right tweak or component -- system synergy is as important as anything else. Nothing makes me happier than being able to improve the sound of my system and actually come out money ahead!
cornfedboy
1,645 posts
 
suzy: so you gonna' tell us what the $2K cable was and its $.5K replacement. i'm all ears (kinda like chas., the prince of wales). -kelly
abecollins
219 posts
 
I like the GFP-750 in active mode mated to my CJ Premier 11a tube amp. It has very good bass extension and control plus it doesn't roll off the treble. Compared to the tube preamps I own, its a little harsh but maybe I just prefer that tube sound. On the other hand, the CJ PV-14L was very smooth with nice midrange warmth but seemed to roll off the extremes a bit. The Audio Research LS16 is not as warm in the midrange but extends the low-end and treble better, but not nearly as much as the Adcom GFP-750. It also has a nice soundstage and separates the instruments better than the Adcom. There is a smoothness that I like about the tube preamps but for speed, slam, and bandwidth, the Adcom is better. But I still prefer that tube sound if its not over done. It's a tough hobby!!

PS I sold the CJ PV-14L even though its an awesome preamp. I still have the Audio Research LS16 and the Adcom GFP-750.
suzy
30 posts
 
Cornfedboy - I really don't want to trash the $2000 cable as I'm sure it sounds wonderful in other systems. It is a popular cable, and I don't want to be tarred and feathered by everyone that owns it :) The point was that a $500 cable sounded better as it was a better match for my system. (The $500 cable is made by Dunlavy - I believe it is called LCR Ultra. Not sure it is even on the market yet, as I picked up a sample at the last CES)
sean
6,231 posts
 
HAHHAHAHA.. I just HAD to laugh. Even though Dunlavy thinks that we can't tell the differences between cables under controlled conditions, he is working on bringing out "new & improved" versions of what he already considered to be the best on the market ?!?!?! The guy "slays me" to say the least.... Sean
>

PS... This is NOT to say that i don't respect Dunlavy's speakers or knowledge. I just don't like his "double standard" when it comes to saying one thing about cables and doing just the opposite.
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