I played the NOS game with the vtph-2a and came to the same consensus, specially the bloated bass. Decided to stick w stock on this guy - no worries
Phono Preamp Tube Rush
Is there such a thing as a tube phono stage that doesn't have tube rush? Is it just an inherent weakness of that type of pre or is it some combination of cartridge gain and preamp gain? I went from a silent solid state ASR Basis Exclusive to a Herron VTPH-2A (new home with space limitations) and now I'm using a Hagerman Trumpet with my Decca London Super Gold. Both the Herron and Hagerman have tube rush. The Hagerman beats the Herron in my setup and it really sounds incredible but in quiet passages and between songs, there's that hiss at high-medium and high volume. It's just there. No combination of new tubes, new cables, etc changes this fact. Same with the Herron. Anyone having a different experience with a tube phono preamp?
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- 89 posts total
First impressions of tube or component changes can be especially nebulous - because anything that the new component sonically accentuates can easily evoke a new emotional response that we can't help but latch onto. This can allow us to experience our favorite tracks in a different light, perhaps even noticing parts of the music we hadn't before. However on extended listening - we may notice the accentuation is really unnatural. We may even go back to our old component and suddenly that "new part" of the music is actually still there, we just hadn't listened for it before because it wasn't actually supposed to stand out, lol. Gear or tubes that have a high listening fatigue factor are particularly subject to this phenomenon - and listening to it gets old real quick! Don't feel bad either, experience can help, but a lot of us (including myself) still fall for this same trap from time to time. |
mulveling First impressions of tube or component changes can be especially nebulous - because anything that the new component sonically accentuates can easily evoke a new emotional response that we can’t help but latch onto. This can allow us to experience our favorite tracks in a different light, perhaps even noticing parts of the music we hadn’t before. However on extended listening - we may notice the accentuation is really unnatural. We may even go back to our old component and suddenly that "new part" of the music is actually still there, we just hadn’t listened for it before because it wasn’t actually supposed to stand out ...I agree completely, and that is exactly why I think equipment "shoot-outs" are virtually useless. A component’s true character is revealed over time. Trying to assess it quickly serves no purpose and the result is prone to error. |
- 89 posts total