Build location for tube integrateds

I must say, I'm cooling off on the tube idea. I've researched the brands above pretty throughly and the thing that gets me, the measurements, in for example Stereophile. Have you seen those? Especially the 1 KHz square wave. Wow! The output is highly distorted.

It may sound better that way; I'm sure the tube lovers think so. But I'm having a hard time getting over knowing that the input is being distorted that way. Think of it. Everything from the lows to highs are moved all over the place. I still want to try one but I think I'll try maybe the Cary and hook it up to my Klipsch Fortes. Basically I would need to probably spend 5 grand or more to drive the Arials and I'm not convinced it's going to sound that great if I do. I've got to find a tube shop around here and listen to the equipment like I did with the SS stuff.

regards, David

In my experience, tubes- regardless of measurement criteria- present the music in a different and better way. There's more reality there, simply put.

I've owned very great SS stuff that I loved. But when a Cary SLI-80 gave me more musical satisfaction than my $8,000 SS pre and amp, I snapped to attention. Every tube amp I've owned since then has reinforced the notion that there's something there that measurements don't quite capture.

Bottom line- there's a reason tubes are still around- and it ain't measurement criteria. It's music, pure and simple.

I write this as I listen to my tube Exemplar CD player through my Yamamoto HA2 SET headphone amp and AT headphones, spinning the remastered Beggar's Banquet on ABKCO.

Tubes are staying in my house!

I'm not sure what to say about your measurement comment. I own a CAT JL2 and and a Pass Labs XA30.5, arguably among the best samples of tube and SS sound, and I'm sure the Pass measures better, no one would pick a the Pass sound over the CAT sound IMHO. I'm not biased towards tube or ss, I own both, but when you hear both, the choice is clear.

Pubul, how do you use them, I mean if one sounds much better than the other why are you still using the Pass? I assume you are more in the audiophile mode with the tubes turning it on, letting it warm up, etc. and that takes more time. What speakers and source are you using with the CAT?

regards, David

>>Especially the 1 KHz square wave. Wow! The output is highly distorted<<

Don't get too hung up on charts, graphs, and specs.

Over the years I've heard a bunch of speakers that measure flat 20-20K and sound like dogsh**.

Where's that pooper scooper?