Tube Pre with Benchmark AHB2 Amp - anyone doing this?


If so, please enlighten me on the benefits over a SS pre or say, a DAC with volume control directly into the AHB2.

 

Thank you

timothy_m

I really enjoy the AHB2's that I have with a Sonnet Morpheus II DAC and Hermes endpoint directly into the amps.  I would like a preamp for functionality and have wondered if with a tube pre I could eke out a little more dimensionality, tone and overall body to the sound.  I certainly do not want a tube sound that is loose and flabby.

I appreciate folks sharing their experience with a tube pre and SS amp, particularly the AHB2.  Thanks.

@mapman tube preamps don't all have high output impedance, and the properly designed ones, sound more dynamic to me than solid state preamps I've had.

@invalid , true, Not all.
Linear Tube Audio for example. That’s due to their proprietary ZOTL technology that makes them unique. Good stuff. Quality more-SS like sound but with tubes. Something different. The “linear” in the name is appropriate.

@mapman it doesn't have to be a proprietary circuit, there are plenty of tube preamps with low output impedance.

Could be. Regardless, the devil is in the details. If using a SS amp with tube pre-amp, imdepance matching is key to getting best results.   If you go with a SS amp that has at least 50-60kohm input impedance, one would expect good results.  We’re it me I would look for 100kohm input impedance minimum to be safe.