2. amps-preamps
  3. 1130095874

seperates over integrated. Why?

This is a general question, raised by an experience today.I own a Tube Technology Seer pre, and today turned down one of their integrated amps at $700. I'm running home made triode monoblocks through the preamp with Fi Phy and Ear 834p and the preamp's phonos, and One thing audio Quad ESL57's. All these years of gradually changing gear, and thinking about cables, and all the different bits of gear, just buying an integrated sure sounds good right now. The Tube Technology pre's phono stage is up there with the other 2, only being inferior during exhaustive ABing. So whats the fuss? All those cables degrading the signal with seperates, or "it all in together" integrateds vibrating and cross-talking the signal away? I ASK THIS CONFUSEDLY.
gilbodavid
the_kid's avatar
the_kid
465 posts
 
If we all ignore him, he will go away.

Chris
tlday
137 posts
 
The MF KW500 and TrVista are integrateds with separate power supplies. Maybe that why they sound as good as separates IMO.
gmood1
1,251 posts
 
Why haven't you guys asked Stan... if blindfolded can he pick out which is what? SS/tube separates or SS/tube integrated of equal quality(not price) setup on a speaker designed for either? Using the same source of course.I can pretty much guarantee he can't ..and neither can anyone else.LOL

Everything is system dependent .Not everyone needs a kilowatt amplifer to drive speakers.:-)
timrhu
2,779 posts
 
Stan, we don't disagree at all here except for the point about price. I always look at the price point to which a component was built when considering performance. If looking for the best sound on a budget of $2K or less then integrated amps should be considered. The originator of this post mentioned a $700 integrated as a possibility; that's where I was coming from.
BTW my first amp was an Eico integrated tube amp I had as a teenager back in the 60s. Been an active listener ever since.
dfkingb4a4
1 posts
 
Because of the variability of the interconnects. Because the best interconnect on earth can not possibly sound better than no interconnect at all. Because Integrated amps are designed as a single unit and there are no design compromises in trying to make the preamp compatable with a wide variety of amps. Because Because the amp and preamp stages are much better isolated than they were a decade or more ago. Because selecting interconnects at an unnecessary stage in the amplification chain confuses the already confusing issue of component matching. Although I do have a Melos SHA-1 through the DK Design interconnects and a modified Moscode 300 that still sounds better than anything I have ever heard, so go figure.
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