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Valve phono or valve linestage?

Which do you consider more influential in the creation of the purist 'valve' pluses such as....transparency, harmonic richness, three dimensional realism and soundstage?
I lived with a top valve preamp (which included a phono section) for 25 years.
The last 5 years I've had a top SS preamp (including phono section) but have recently re-installed the 'old' valve preamp and can hear the differences.
What I don't know is......which stage is providing the greatest contribution?
128x128halcro
stevecham
3,340 posts
 
The ideal is tubes all the way through (phono, line, power). Having said that, using tubes as close to the source as possible will provide the greatest "tube-like" experience; I use a tube phono pre in an otherwise all solid state system and feel that this is the next best thing if only one of three stages can be tubed. Another option is to use a combined phono pre and line stage like a Manley Steelhead and have two of three stages tubed.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,861 posts
 
which stage is providing the greatest contribution?

Both of them :) However, if you loose detail and musicality upstream, there is nothing you can do to recover it downstream. OTOH if your line stage is not up the task, no amount of a detailed and musical signal will help. You gotta go all-tube.
dhcod
710 posts
 
With those Halcro amps, tubes tubes tubes. It's about balance. You want to put some air around the Halcro detail. I listened to Halcro amps at a friends over a long weekend with some Eggelston speakers and the spaciousness was really impressive with a tube pre and phono stage. I think we listened to a CJ Art pre and Asthetix phono. It really painted the walls of the recording space.
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