Introducing Tubes?

I personally think the preamp influences system sound mo ethan any component and thus would suggest a tubed preamp might be what you're looking for. But first ask yourself, are you saying you need tubes or are your friends? If you like the sound then stick with what you have, but personally I couldn't be without a tubed preamp. What's your price range?

I second Jond's response as it has been my experience as well. A tubed pre-amp is easy and economical to maintain and generally speaking the heat/ventilation issues associated with a tubed pre-amp will be minimal. As an example a used conrad johnson PV10b can be had here for around $750. There are other choices as well if that doesn't meet your requirements. Your choices for a tubed CD player are limited especially in your price range.

Chuck

I think a tubed pre-amp is the best place start. But before you go there best ask yourself exactly what are you trying to get. All tube pre-amps don't sound the same. Some are warm and some are bright, most have a more liquid sound. Don't underestimate the effect that a good tube amp has on the sound of a system, but thats for another day (after you have tried a good tubed CDP). Upscale Audio advertises an Ah Joeb tubed CDP that cost less than $1000 that gets a lot of good comments. By the way, good speakers!

My question is, "do you like your system or do YOU feel there is something missing or otherwise not right with the way it reproduces music?? If the answer is yes, can you isolate the component responsible? Rather than just add stuff willy-nilly(I always wanted to write that) first find out if there is a problem, what the problem is and then try and identify the source. Components don't "add" anything. There is the information recorded on the source material such as a cd or an album. That information can be retrieved by your components but it can't be "added" to. The information that's there is the information that's there. The only thing tubes will do is add a type of distortion that I guess your listeners think would nicely counteract soem other type of distortion they are hearing and don't like.

Nick

Improbability, FWIW everything in the chain adds distortion to some extent! Some tubes can cover-up some of the distortion added by CD systems and other SS stuff! Take that!!!! And that!!!!! :-)