From what I remember, for line stages AU, AY, are better, AX usually for high gain MM or MC phono stages. AT's for drivers.
Cheers George
Cheers George
Line Stage Preamplifiers AX vs AU
Just learning a few things about these components,,, seems to me best tube fora linestage (PREamp term should only be applied to a amp with phono section/ w/o phone, = Line Stage) anyway,, seems to me best circuitty for a *passive line stage* would be the 12AU7 tube, and not employ any 12AX7's.
The AX ha s a mu of 100, so it really scrams and thus pushes the db level too much as it reaches the pwoer amp.
The AU has a mu of only 15, so its alsmost passive, which is really whata line stage should be , just passing the signal from the source to the amp, with the least involvement, IMHO alot of line stage amps, have too much coloration and muddiness due to the usage od 12AX7's.
Leaving me with voting the only line stage employing all 12AU7 circuitry i know of under $2K as best Line stage on the market.
https://en.cayin.cn/products_info?itemid=120
The AX ha s a mu of 100, so it really scrams and thus pushes the db level too much as it reaches the pwoer amp.
The AU has a mu of only 15, so its alsmost passive, which is really whata line stage should be , just passing the signal from the source to the amp, with the least involvement, IMHO alot of line stage amps, have too much coloration and muddiness due to the usage od 12AX7's.
Leaving me with voting the only line stage employing all 12AU7 circuitry i know of under $2K as best Line stage on the market.
https://en.cayin.cn/products_info?itemid=120
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Yep, thats what i got from Richard Gray's explanation as he was modding my Jadis DPL, haven't heard it yet, but i'm confident i will much prefer the 12AU7 in the 12AX7 socket. You can raed through this thread and see most folks prefer the AU over the AX. The AX is too forward,, especially if you havea powerful push pull amp. The lone AX in the DPL is passing too much gain to the Defy7, allowing hardly any room for the Defy to come alive. It will be 2 weeks before i get my system up N running, so can't say for sure, but hunch is a all AU circuit ina line stage is superior to a AX+ AU linestage, AR, CJ, PL, all have AX+ AU. Jadis also employs a AX + AU circuitry. The AX 100mu amplification voices too strongly IMHO. Best to have dual 6922 digital source passing as quietly through the linestage source as possible, = more passive, which is the ideal goal ofa line stgae circuit. Allowing more head room from the power amp to work. https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/tubes-valves/287283-12ax7-vs-12at7-vs-12au7.html |
From what I remember, for line stages AU, AY, are better, AX usually for high gain MM or MC phono stages. AT's for drivers.
No AY's please, But OK so i can see a AX for phono section,, which is why i titled this topic, ~~Line stage~~ only. AU's are slightly superior to AT's, as far as sonics, fq, sound stage = magic of a pre tube. I just sold a all 12AT 3 stage(3 pairs of AT'S!!) line stage amp today,. Not as forward voicing as the Jadis's DPL single 12AX7. That is to say, the DPL's lone AX voiced as higher/higher db level vs the 6 AT7's. The cayin is the only linestage under $2K that i know of which uses a 100% 12AU7 circuitry. PL which is made at the same lab, has AU/AX Circuitry. ,,No I take that back,, some PL line stage, the newer bigger models do offer all AU circuitry. I listened to a older PL model with AU/AX, and did not care for the soundstage. Leaving me more convinced a all 100% AU line stage is the best circuitry for a line stage. |
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