2. amps-preamps
  3. 138966-119764

How would you introduce tubes into this SS system?

I have a Rotel RC-1070 preamp and a Parasound HCA-1000 amp driving a pair of NHT Super Two’s. The Super Two’s sensitivity is 87 db (2.83V at 1M), 8 Ohms nominal impedance (3.8 Ohms minimum), and recommended amp power of 25W/ch min. and 175W/ch. max. The Rotel’s output level and impedance are 1V and 100 Ohms, and the Parasound’s input impedance is 33 kiloOhms. The budget is around $2000 for either a tube preamp, tube amp, or integrated tube/hybrid amp. I like the sonic qualities of tube equipment, but I don’t want to sacrifice too much bass. I should also mention that I use this system primarily for listening to vinyl on a Music Hall mmf-5.1 turntable. Should I replace the Rotel, the Parasound, or both? Thanks for your opinions.
jackalope
smrex13
645 posts
 
The MCormacks are great amps.  You'll love it, and Steve McCormack still services/upgrades them.  
soix
9,456 posts
 
@jackalope -- any updates?  If you haven't already, try pulling the Josephs 4-5 feet into the room if possible, with the speakers aimed at the outside of your shoulders.  Magic starts to happen there. 
jackalope OP
6 posts
 
I don't have the space to pull them away from the wall that far, but they're sitting about 1-1/2 feet from it. Once the AR has warmed up, everything shines! Outstanding clarity with great warmth and punch. The speakers arrived with some hefty damage to one of the plinths. The shipper didn't remove them before shipping, and FedEx packed them horribly ($260 for packing and shipping). They were also missing the feet. I fixed the plinth (I used to build wooden boats, so I'm kinda handy like that), and I found the original feet from Joseph Audio's vendor. Filled each of them up with 25 lbs. of sand, and wow! Oh, and after a couple months of diligent pestering, I made sure that FedEx was held accountable, and was able to squeeze 400 clams out of them. So overall, everything is great! One other significant improvement: deer hide platter mat. I couldn't believe it myself. Quite an upgrade from the felt.
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