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Tube or Trasistor

Hello friends
Hope you all had a good New Year!!
I live on the far south coast of Australia, the nearest hi fi shop, is a three hours drive!!, so can some one give me advice??, as I have found the sound on a lot of music to be a bit harsh, below is My gear!!
1. Once Analog TT, loaded with a loaded Denon/Zu 103 cartridge
2. JLTI phono stage, with power supply, (sold state), made in Switzerland by Allen wright
3. PS Audio, pre-amp with build in DAC
4.Pair of PS Tube Mono Blocks, these are highly regarderd, running KT 88's output tubes, made in Hong Kong, silver point to point wiring!!
5. Pair of Zu Soul MK 2 speakers
Friends, some modern recordings sound great, but as I have mint collection of music, some sound harsh!!
My last system, sounded great, in the bass region, but was lacking in the top end, just a bit!!
My last system was, below, please don't ask why I don't have it any more, very personal!!
1. Well tempered Labs Classic, with a Dyavector 17 D 3
2. A local made Tube pre amp, with phono stage, made by a person in Canberrra, I don't have his name!!, This system is approx 20 years old??
3. Bedini class A transistor amp, around 100wps
4. Shahinian Arc Speakers!!
Although i has been nearly twenty years, since the last time I heard this system, I don't remember, this system sounding "harsh"!!
The only thing I can think off, is the pre amp was" tubed", and the amp was solid state, now it is the otherway around, the phono stage, and pre amp are solid state!!, whilst the mono blocks, are tubed!!
Am I missing something here??, Before I change my system, with a cost I can't really afford, can some one give me advice?? Thanks in advance
David Spry
Australia


128x128daveyonthecoast
fisher_400
71 posts
 

Solid-state cannot compete with tubes. Even a table radio with a 4" speaker & tubes sounds better than transistor radios. A 4" speaker only produces voices, but the voices sound real with tubes. I can hear the difference in another room.

Most vintage tube amps & receivers sound better than tubes. I use a lowly Allied 333 (same as Pioneer SX-34). Stock sounded good, but I upgraded all coupling capacitors. I placed certain select tubes in & rebuilt the power supply to outperform the original with regard to AC ripple. The soundstage is clear & open extending far beyond the speaker ends. I just have not been able to duplicate that with SS amps & SS receivers.

I used to rebuild Fisher tube receivers & amplifiers. I shipped to the USA & abroad. I was told I rebuilt the best sounding Fishers ever! I guess so.

Anyways, applied the same mods to the Allied 333. One great detail about this simple receiver is a very simple & uncomplicated audio path from preamp to main amp. That makes a difference too. So, you do not have to spend much to enjoy high-end tube audio.

daveyonthecoast's avatar
daveyonthecoast OP
40 posts
 
Thanks To All
I have replaced, my tube mono blocks, with transistor mono blocks, one thing I have noticed, is more control in the "Bass", however the harsh sound is still there, do you think, replacing the solid state pre amp and phono with tubes??, I don't want to softener, the bass, any idea??
David
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,856 posts
 
One common source of harshness is the higher ordered harmonic distortion (in trace amounts) which is normal with most solid state gear.

It is why there are still tube amps being made; we should have had hover cars by now, this being the 21st century but instead tubes are still here :)

So it is possible that a tube preamp could be helpful. Hopefully it can be auditioned prior to purchase.
initforthemusic
282 posts
 
Hi davey, what Mono Blocks did you get? Is the harshness just with Phono? Do you run digital? Noticed you have a built in Dac. Guess it's a process of elimination. Also as I peviously mentioned, cables can make some difference in certain cases. Realise you're a bit isolated but can you borrow any gear to trial?
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