Low level res more inherent in tubes?

RW,

If I recall correctly, your integrated amp. does not have a tubed pre-amp section, it is a passive pre-amp containing only the volume control and input switching. All of the tubes are in the amplifier section to the best of my knowledge.

Check with Paul for details, but I'm fairly certain about this. Matter-o-fact, I think Paul told me to turn the volume up to 100% if I have a pre-amp or other means of volume control. The 100% volume level would basically take the volume control out the circuit.

Anyway, nothing at all to do with the main point of your post, but you mentioned tubed pre-amp and I thought I would chime in......

Enjoy,

TIC

All,

Could someone chime in with a few definitions/examples/differences between these:

Low-Level definition
Inner detail
macro dynamics
micro dynamics

Just curious as I want to write a review of my new Channel Islands VMB-1 amps and I want to know how to articulate what I am hearing. These amps have an incredible ability to let me follow bass lines that were smeared via other amps and I can easily follow some background vocals and conversations in some recordings where I was previously unable to do so.

Thanks and Enjoy,

TIC

Rwbadley, FWIW my experience with Dynaudio's is that typical of a lot of dynamic speakers they really don't open up at low volume settings with any amps - including high power tube amps. At medium to high volume they are excellent to supurb depending on the model. This has been brought home to me recently by the acquisition of some new speakers usings Seas drivers - they open up much more at low volumes, that is I have full soundstage imaging and bass at much lower levels of volume. Quads do the same thing at low levels, as do other some speakers. TWL is correct in pointing at the speakers but I'm not sure how much the amp makes a difference unless it is a tonal one, i.e. more bass output at low levels will make for a much more natural sounding tone (but will become opressive at higher volumes).

Rwbadly, since you are using the same speakers with a different amp, you may have noticed considerable changes in various things.

The thing I mentioned about speakers related to using a more efficient speaker, so that the system can dig more out of the lower SPL because of the lower threshold that it takes to move the drivers in a higher efficiency speaker.

Using the same speakers with a new power amp, would not really affect that speaker efficiency issue. However, the new amp could just provide more detail. I don't know which amp you had, or have now, which you are comparing vs each other. We really would need to have more information to determine anything more than just speculation.

Many people do report that lower power tube amps do sound much more powerful(watt for watt) than SS amps do. I've read many reports from users that a good 50 watt tube amp sounds as powerful as a 200 watt SS amp. Perhaps this is what you are hearing.

Also, if your tube amp is "warmer" in the bottom end than your old SS amp was, the lower listening levels may favor the warmer sounding amp, due to the Fletcher-Munson effect of the ears being less sensitive at the frequency extremes at low listening SPL(as Newbee alluded to). This could account for low frequency details being more audible at low SPL with the new amp.

There really is not enough info to make an informed statement about what you are experiencing, except for wild guesses.

Maybe your new amp is just plain better than your old one.

A list of components and listening room description might be helpful. Including the old SS amp(s) that you are comparing to the new tube amp.

Making generalized comments without knowing the particulars involved is very difficult, and probably would lead to an incorrect conclusion.

TWL, FWIW I just acquired a new integrated tube unit w/35WPC that I think was made by Fletcher-Munson for low level listening. :-) Its a "powerhouse" at low volumes and thats all I use it for - casual, low volume, listening.