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For tube sound, which is more important: preamp or power amp?

I have always loved the “tube sound” - warmth, midrange, soundstage. Through the years (since about 1975), I have owned many tube and solid state amps and preamps, in various combinations. Presently, I have a tube amp and a solid state preamp. But like most of you, I am thinking of making changes, again.  Not to cloud the discussion, the specific brands are not important.  I also listen to acoustic music, females vocals, love mini monitors, EL34s, NOS tubes, and don’t care that much about bass.  So you can see that my taste fits the tube sound very well. But I have had systems that are too warm, not enough dynamics or details, and fat in the low end, too.

okay, now to the discussion.  To produce the tube sound, which is more important: the preamp or the power amp?  Let’s talk in general, and (if possible? May not be) not tied to one specific piece/brand/model of equipment.  I know there are exceptions to any general rule.  Not sure if it makes a difference to your comments, but I have no phono and am running line stage only.

As an attempt to prevent the conversation as going in a big tangent, let’s assume equality of price/quality. i.e. not comparing a $10k power amps contribution to a system to that of a $1k preamp.  Let’s also assume that the amp (tube or solid state) can drive the speakers just fine, such that compatibility does not limit the decision. And ignore mono blocks versus stereo amp differences.  

two follow ons: I have  the perception that preamps give you more bang for the buck - meaning that it takes less money to get a great tube preamp compared to a great tube amp.  Agree/disagree? And second, I have never owned a tube dac or CD player, and will assume that tubes in either of these is less critical than in a preamp or power amp. Agree/disagree?

i am interested in your thoughts.

Bill
meiatflask
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Danoroo,
The pertinent question has been poised, what’s your budget range for the tube power amplifier you seek? A good quality 100 watt tube amplifier doesn’t have to be necessarily expensive but they won’t be "dirt cheap" either. Good quality engineering, implementation and parts/transformers/power supply do have a cost that’s worth it in the long-term perspective.
Charles
electroslacker
375 posts
 
Granted, YouTube isn't a reliable tool for judging sound but Tyco Dogg has some interesting tests with the Schiit Freya preamp switching between tubes and Jfets, and between different tube sets.

Here's one of the series:
https://youtu.be/1Slu3u0o4Aw

I seemed to hear a difference in tube sets, but not so much between Tung-Sols and Jfet, which seems odd
wolf_garcia
6,737 posts
 
I now have my Freya, and at this early point I can say it’s pretty damn good. The passive and FET modes are very similar sounding in my early assessment, and the tube stage is nice and hot with more than enough gain to send my Fire Bottle amp into the red zone …I replaced the "input" tubes with new Tung Sols although the original "mystery" tubes (no writing on mine at all, but they do seem to be tubes) work OK…the Tung Sols are simply dead quiet little things and sound great. No noticeable hiss or hum in Tube mode unless you stick your ear right on the tweeter in which case you can tell the tubes are there…and all in all a great sounding preamp. My previous preamp was so good it's hard to tell if the Freya is really better, but I have 15 days to figure it out.
seanheis1
630 posts
 
Wolf - what was your previous preamp? 
wolf_garcia
6,737 posts
 
My now "resting" preamp is a Kavent S33, which is a rebadged (not sure why) Vincent SA-91…it even says SA-91 on the circuit board. These are fully balanced aluminum clad heavy monsters with a couple of serious transformers mounted in a separate shielded side of the preamp…it’s a large seemingly overbuilt thing, and has a 10 db adjustment to get higher output if necessary, and that’s the setting I used. I note that fact because the Freya has a more normal output level and the passive and FET modes are a more typical line level that I can actually run to max with my SEP amp (clearly my speakers aren’t THAT efficient), but the Freya tube setting is much higher gain to provide lots of headroom into my rig.
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