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is getting a tube pre a valid option with ss amp?

hello all, advice time again. I have decided to go ht in basement and as such, can go dedicated 2 channel in living room.. I am thinking of getting a tube pre as a 1st step, although my amp is a ss theta dread 2..which i am going to keep in my living room....is a tube pre a good move forward over ss pre?or..will there not be much sonic difference..i have dali hellicon speakers which it seems warm up very nice to tube sound..thanx, Dan
dan001
swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
A very commonly executed configuration.
avrij's avatar
avrij
70 posts
 
i do it with a tad-150 and an electrocompaniet ss amp. to me its the way to get close to best of both worlds. the sound is warm and dynamic, but as with all things, it depends on you, the qualtiy of the equipment/synergy, and the quality of the recordings you listen to. IMHO the more i do this the single biggest factor is the recording quality, no matter which sytem i listen to.
mimberman
299 posts
 
depends on your listening preferences. I have an aesthetix Janus pre and a bat vk-250 amp. I've been happy with the combo, although not blown away by the bat. I likes warm, present sound but didn't want anything too tubey, so this combo has been good. I would change the bat before the aesthetix. If you listen to vinyl then I would def recommend the Janus, which has a good phono stage. Hovland is also killer.
mjcmt's avatar
mjcmt
711 posts
 
I had a tube pre w/ a Pass Labs amp. The soundstage improved, the vocals became more intimate, and everything sounded more real and human..like you are there. A tube pre is a good move.
buconero117
2,311 posts
 
Only a complete tube chain will make a significant improvement, especially with vinyl media.
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