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What is Better? SS Amp+Tube CD OR Tube Amp+SS CD

Can someone tell me which setup is better sounding combo?
1. good quality SS amp matched with Tube CD player
OR
2. quality Tube amp with quality SS CD player
My critieria is warm, sweet, smooth, real sounding music of tubes wtih reasonable accuracy & bass that SS provides.
Most of all, which combo is better bang for our buck
bonger
fplanner2000
616 posts
 
My vote is a good SS amp and tube CD player, which is what I currently have and enjoy immensely. All the solid state amplification benefits, with the warmth and presence of tubes - it doesn't get much better and is not as speaker dependent as the opposite choice might be. To me - most flexibility and best sound is the above.
finsup
289 posts
 
Chazzbo,

Would you mind diagramming your opinion, please? I got lost somewhere in there and can't find my way out. : )
t_bone
1,182 posts
 
Bonger, Chazzbo started with the premise that the speakers were sensitive enough for tube amplification and gave a variety of recommendations. I neglected to read your other posts before writing my response to note that you have Totems. None of the Totems are very sensitive. I agree with Larryi on both points (SS vs tube amps, and on the value of tube output CDPs).

Based on your speakers (I assume still Totem Arros), and reading between the lines in terms of sound preference, things I have heard with similar spec-ed speakers (which is a precarious perch from which to recommend something), and making the assumption you might be willing to purchase used, I think there is good bang for buck, and pretty good quality overall, from the Counterpoint hybrid amps (you might try an SA-20). Good tube preamps are available for not much money, and for kicks, you could even try a Bottlehead Foreplay pre-amp (check audioasylum.com for a link).

If really dying to try high-powered tubes, I think the VTL IT-85 (integrated) and ST-85 (amp only) are great, and give the same kind of quality as their higher-powered amps at a more affordable price (used), and they tend to go quite low in terms of minimum impedance.

Full disclosure: I own VTL MB-450s, love them dearly, and have always wanted a pair of Counterpoint Natural Progression Monos for a second system. I have thought doing so but have not built a Foreplay preamp. I have no connection of any kind with any advertiser on Audiogon.
bartokfan
664 posts
 
"my friend say to have clean/neutral amp up front...."
To my ears a top quality tube amp delivers the purest, most musical sound. I've yet to hear any ss amp that beat a tube...well I take that back, I have heard a few tube that did sound smokey/foggy/very low dynamics, Conrad, Rouge, even acoustic research my little Jadis beat out by a wide margin....I'd rather have a big Krell.
But I'd rather have my JOR vs any Krell.
Its all about quality. Sometimes you pay for what you get, other times you overpay....
Paul
bokifeac
22 posts
 
@Mrtennis

you're right, all tube and SS these days are alike. i spent some time with new generation of complete tube gear, mostly tube integrated, and was very dissapointed. i don't want tube gear to sound like SS but that's exactly what i get at the end. for me, there is no reason for such concept, but people should be very carefull. since they're not bad amps, modern tubes equipment are voiced like SS, and it could be prety confusing, seeing tubes and get something else.

myself, i bought EL84 integrated, working in triode mode, which is DIY project based on the best tube tradition ( whatever that means), and it was like WOW, totally different story! now i'm listening SS CD player, but it has to be changed and i watched carefully this thread, because i don't know is there any need to get CD with tube output or stick with SS CD player. is there such thing as "too many tubes" in this case?
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