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Digital Source with Tube Amplification

For perspective, I will be turning 36 next week so I didn't grow up listening to vinyl and have never really experienced tube amplification. I am getting a Yaqin EL34 tube integrated in the next couple of weeks and my dad thought it would be fun to use his vintage turntable as a source for a true analog listening experience. Logistics will likely make this difficult as we live states apart.

This discussion made me wonder what other peoples experiences have been using different combinations of gear. On the analog end you have a turntable and tube amplifier and on the digital end you have a CD player and a solid state amplifier.

I am curious if the people that prefer the analog systems enjoy the sound of a turntable with a solid state amplifier or a CD player with a tube amplifier more. Is one combination more analog sounding than the other in your experience?

Obviously, every experience and system is different so I am just looking for general observations based of your experiences.
mceljo
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Hi Larryi,
I have a fairly large collection of jazz on viny(from my analog past) and
they sound very good. Fortunately for me the vast majotity of my jazz CDs
sound very good also, I can't speak for other genres (I have some classical
CDs that are quite good as well). The bigger gap in my experience is with
the electronics. DHT tubes either SET or push pull just excel at the natural
realism I consider vital for my enjoyment. IMO the CD- vinyl gap is narrower
and either format works for me. Larryi I agree with you, some higher power
pentode type tube amps aren't any better than SS amps. It seems we have
similar hearing. Larryi The overwhelming majority of the jazz CDs from
remastered analog 1950-60s sound excellent in my current system.
Charles,
larryi
3,990 posts
 
Charles1dad,

I agree that most remastered jazz cds sound very good, as do most new jazz issues. Jazz has not been utterly corrupted like most mastering of pop and rock music. But, if you ever heard some of the original Atlantic, Impulse and Bluenotes, for example, or the Analogue Productions and other highend lp reissues, there is a little more THERE, there.

We are both not big fans of high powered pentode and tetrode amps. To me, most listeners would be better off with some of the better solid state stuff, such as Ayre or D'Agostino, if they need that much power.
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Larryi,
Yes I'm aware of good original vinyl and own a nice amount of them. I took a few of my albums to a good friend's home today and we listened to them and some CDs. He has a Basis Debut TT and just installed his new Basis Superarm 9 with his trusty ZYX UNiverse II cartridge. This arm is definitely a step above his vector arm (and that was a good arm!). His analog front end is making superb quality sound, however he also produces truly excellent sound with his Mod Wright modified Oppo 105 as well. He has it covered in both formats and we heard some beautiful natural sounding jazz today.
Charles,
mceljo OP
1,357 posts
 
One thing I can say for sure, the new tube amp makes one of my Claude Bolling CDs sound fantastic compared to my solid state receiver. It was one disk that I always wished was recorded better and it turns out that the tube amp was the key. Possibly something to do with being an originally analog recording. Very fun.
jtcf's avatar
jtcf
1,617 posts
 
Option #3 for me.Love my Quickies!I've quit upgrading and just enjoy now.
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