Digital Source with Tube Amplification

Charles1dad - I'll try to clarify my question. I keep coming back to this forum because it's obvious that, in general, the knowledge and experience here is beyond other audio forums. Sometimes I tire of responses to questions always being conditional.

Now back to my original question.

My dad has always disliked the "digital" sound that he associated with CDs vs. vinyl. I was interested to know if it would be expected that a turntable to solid state integrated amplifier to speakers would result in a more or less appealing sound than a CDP to stereo tube integrated amplifier for someone that prefers the "analog" sound.

It seems that each combination would take the sound closer to the analog end of the spectrum.

Maybe nobody has really played around with these combinations with their own gear.

On a scale from the "analog" to "digital" sound what would you think the order of the following system combinations would be?

(1) All Analog - turntable to tube amp to speakers
(2) Hybrid A - turntable to solid state amp to speakers
(3) Hybrid B - CDP to tube amp to speakers
(4) All Digital - CDP to solid state amp to speakers

Assume the gear is all the same and the musical selectio is identical with both the vinyl and CD being excellent recordings and give me your gut feeling about whether Hybrid A or B would sound closer to the All analog sound 50.00001% of the time.

I have never had the opportunity to do anything close to this and my gut would be that source would result in the more analog sound.

Well, that makes it a little easier...

Someone who likes old style "analog" sound will probably enjoy older analog recordings remastered well to CD (there are many such recordings to choose from these days) and played through a tube amp of choice best. So my answer is c).

An extreme example, but I have some old 78s that I have recorded to CD and .wav digital formats that display the unique and most distinct analog charms of these recordings in a manner that could probably only be surpassed by playing the 78s on a nicely restored Victrola. That's on my list of audio toys to acquire someday. I have tubes in my pre-amp only. And no horns in my speakers. It might not be easy in general for someone to know I am using a tube pre-amp just by listening...though the detail and articulation with just the slightest touch of warmth perhaps in the midrange might be a hint.

Ok, I'm going out on a limb here. I imagine that if I fall off I'll be on my own. So, in the most general sense, on average, hybrid-a will have the most analog sound. Sure, there are a million caveats to this. But I think that unless you are listening to the very best digital sources you will not get to a close enough facsimile of analog sound. I think that, on average, hybrid-a is your answer. Mind you, I very much prefer tube amplification to solid state and would dump my turntable in a second if I could afford an equally analog sounding DAC.

Cheers,

Ivan

Charles1dad - What's ironic is that if I listed every aspect of my system and listening room and somehow quantified my listening preferences in an objective way we'd be no closer to being able to discuss it because unless you personally experience what I experience the list of "conditions" is endless. So where does that leave us with an audio forum?

I just don't see where stating an opinion, however much it approaches being a wild guess, is so impossible.