Einstein The Tube users...help

zero should mean just that....

Hey guys, happy new year and thanks for the reponses.

Boa2, I have not yet given up on the Einstein but I am cnnsidering my other options (it is a $14K preamp!!). Though the BAT does offer volume offsets which I like.

Rhyno, I am not sure I understand what you mean by using the right tubes? I just plugged my inputs into the XLR inputs and my output into the XLR outputs. As for my amps, they have 26db gain and an input impedance 22K0hm.

Audphile1, I have no idea about the volume steps. There is very little info about it on the web.

the unit uses 1 12UA7, and 18 of the 6922s. i'd confirm that the tubes spec'd are in there, that you have the problem regardless of source selected, and also if you have it on both RCA and XLR outputs.

the einstein doesn't have volume steps; its a continuous attenuator (not a ladder or shunt)

As for my amps, they have 26db gain and an input impedance 22K0hm.

From the PS Audio website:
"No tube preamp should be asked to drive an input impedance of less than 30K..."

Take it for what it's worth, but I've just gone through the same thing as you are. We all know tube preamps can work with SS amps, and yet yours is in need of a gain reduction, simple as that. If you try out other preamps that do not have gain adjustability, you are likely to encounter the same issue. Thankfully, it's an easy fix.

I drive my X250.5 with 22kohms balanced input impedance with my ARC LS-25 linestage that has 650ohms bal output impedance and 6db(low), 12db(med) and 18db(high) gain.
In medium gain setting which I use, there are no issues with volume.

My suspision is that the Einstein preamp has very limited volume steps and that is what the problem is, along with its relatively high gain of course, which is typical for any tube pre.

I had a tube preamp with 75 volume steps and had the same issue. Once I switched to a preamp with 104 steps, the problem is solved. A Sonic Frontiers preamp I tried in my system had 191 steps and it was the finest volume adjustment, despite its high gain.

My bet is that a preamp with a nice volume control will have no such control issues as too soft->too loud jump in volume.

BAT 51SE has 140 steps in 0.5db increments. Has 17db out gain, which is high, but with 140 steps there should absolutely be no problems with this unit driving the 22kohms amp. ARC REF-3, that has 11.6dB Balanced output gain(relatively low gain for a tube unit) with 104 steps of volum should be no problem either.