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I've run a tube preamp with solid state amps for 15 years. I have to have tubes somewhere in my system. |
Don’t know about the AR Ref 2 with Pass amps, but I’m pairing the AR Ref 3 and AR Ref 5SE with Parasound Halo A21 and JC2 monoblocks with incredible results - hard to believe. Just incredible clarity, detail, resolution, imaging and soundstage with superb tone, tenor, texture and bass control - a very holographic, live sound.
I’ve been surprised by this combination - though, I suppose some of the credit must go to the Bryston BDP-3 & Schitt Yggdrasil DAC, which sound superb, even without the AR tube line stage - but, the tube line stage improved upon that combo even a great deal more. And... with either the Harbeth 30.1’s with Townshend Super-Tweeters, or Linkwitz Orion’s - to the point, that I doubt I could improve upon the sound a lot more. I’ve also been surprised that this combo has really awakened the 30.1’s, which initially hadn’t impressed me, but now have much better highs, resolution, and bass control with the Harbeth rich, organic sound.
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I started building a listening room about 18 months ago. I bought a NAD M12 pre/dac and NAD M22v2. With my Tannoy DC8Ti speakers, the highs were too bright, the mids were too loud, the bass was just right. I purchased a used Herron VTSP-3A tube pre amp and Audio Mirror Tubadour III SE DAC. The sound is much more musical, with no loss of detail.
Both the Herron pre amp and NAD power amp have gain controls. After much futzing with both, and moving the speakers and my listening position, I found the Heron on low gain and NAD on mid gain gives me the best sound, with my speakers about 2.5' from the side walls and 3' from the front wall with a slight toe-in.
The M22v2 is very nice sounding class D amp.
The Herron/NAD combination is working for now.
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Trust your ears. I had the same quandary lately. I use Ice Power 1200AS2 based class D amp to drive my Canton Vento 896.2 floor standers with a Marantz receiver handling interim preamp duties. The Marantz does warm things up a bit, but I wanted to take things a bit further south of analytical.
I looked at stuff from PrimaLuna and Schiit. The EVO 100 preamp at $2K was still beyond my current budget and when I checked the used market, a mint Schiit Freya+ with an extra quad of tubes for $100 less than new, popped up, so I jumped on it. Still waiting on delivery.
The EVO 100 fits your budget or you could look at something the Freya+ level and spend some of the remainder on extra tubes to muck about with.
Mark |
