If you can, go out and visit some local audio junkies who have various types
of systems, or nearby dealers where you can listen, and see if you can get a
sense of what YOU might like. Bring your own music to listen to. As you may
already have gleaned from similar threads, the two camps can be myopic as
any radical fundamentalist sect. You can find plenty of folks who'll steer you
in either direction, and the question as to which is "best" is as
pointless as asking whether vanilla or chocolate is the best flavor. I know,
that's not the question you've asked, but since the initial late-night tome
seems to be addressing that issue in some ways I thought I'd publish a
counterpoint, though I'll keep mine brief. As far as where to start, I'd try
listening to other systems first and see if you like the differences you hear. If
you do want to jump headfirst into the fray, my experience has been similar
to Newbee with tubes, which is to say the preamp seemed to make most
difference, in general, though if you move into the realms of SET or OTL I'd
say that the amp then plays a stronger roll in changing the sound (not to
diminish the importance of a good pre), and...per your Tubes 101 textbook
above, going that direction is more limiting in your choices of speakers and
more sensitive to system matching at the back end. I've also found, as many
have, that the different types of music are best served by different types of
systems. You may be swayed one way or the other by how the music you
prefer to listen to most of the time sounds on each type of system. There's
heaps of input on these subjects in the archives too.
There'll be a pop quiz on all of this material on Tuesday afternoon so you'd
better start cramming! Good luck.
Marco
of systems, or nearby dealers where you can listen, and see if you can get a
sense of what YOU might like. Bring your own music to listen to. As you may
already have gleaned from similar threads, the two camps can be myopic as
any radical fundamentalist sect. You can find plenty of folks who'll steer you
in either direction, and the question as to which is "best" is as
pointless as asking whether vanilla or chocolate is the best flavor. I know,
that's not the question you've asked, but since the initial late-night tome
seems to be addressing that issue in some ways I thought I'd publish a
counterpoint, though I'll keep mine brief. As far as where to start, I'd try
listening to other systems first and see if you like the differences you hear. If
you do want to jump headfirst into the fray, my experience has been similar
to Newbee with tubes, which is to say the preamp seemed to make most
difference, in general, though if you move into the realms of SET or OTL I'd
say that the amp then plays a stronger roll in changing the sound (not to
diminish the importance of a good pre), and...per your Tubes 101 textbook
above, going that direction is more limiting in your choices of speakers and
more sensitive to system matching at the back end. I've also found, as many
have, that the different types of music are best served by different types of
systems. You may be swayed one way or the other by how the music you
prefer to listen to most of the time sounds on each type of system. There's
heaps of input on these subjects in the archives too.
There'll be a pop quiz on all of this material on Tuesday afternoon so you'd
better start cramming! Good luck.
Marco