|
|
Post by Boomzilla on Dec 17, 2015 2:51:17 GMT -5
I find that the preamps that have tone controls most often have unbalanced inputs / outputs only.
The preamps that have balanced inputs / outputs normally have no tone controls.
Were I willing to forego balanced circuitry, the field opens up considerably - Vincent, XiangShing, Shengya, & lots of other preamps.
Were I willing to forego tone controls, ditto - Conrad Johnson, Audio Research, and many more.
I'm not willing to forego remote volume control.
But I'd like to have it all. The tube preamps that have balanced inputs / outputs, remote control, AND tone controls seem to boil down to few - The McIntosh tube preamp models. Does any other manufacturer make a tube preamp with all three features, or am I destined to be a McIntosh customer?
OTOH, if I decide to give up on balanced circuitry & revert to RCA unbalanced connections, has anyone any guess as to when Emotiva might offer their tube preamp?
Boomzilla
PS: If you want a real chuckle, read THIS translation of the XiangShing description:
"The line reference and Tianmao improve lines and adjust according to the different uses of the bile duct peripheral component parameters to maximize the strengths of the bile duct , so that the machine can no matter what the outstanding performance of the bile duct . Japanese and Shigeru launched in the early 1960s, the performance is excellent. It maintained a Marantz7 mellow and full of musical taste characteristics, but regardless dynamic , transient, high frequency response , power analysis , signal to noise ratio than Marantz7 good , and in the sound field , transparent flu and Marantz7 enough to keep pace ."
|
|
|
|
Post by AudioHTIT on Dec 17, 2015 5:22:20 GMT -5
My requirements list was once similar to yours, and McIntosh was at the top of it. As an added benefit, it should have plenty of 'full musical taste characteristics', however, you may have to forego the 'bile duct peripheral component'.
|
|
|
|
Post by ncred02 on Dec 17, 2015 6:14:26 GMT -5
I have a tube pre with balance control and no remote. At first it was a pita. But over time its lead me to just sit and listen and stop playing with trying to tweak. I have found myself listening to CDs without the remote a lot. And when its from my hard drive>DAC>tube set up, its like old times. At least I dont have o get up and flip the album sides.
Kinda forces you to just chill
|
|
|
|
Post by Boomzilla on Dec 17, 2015 6:21:29 GMT -5
Hi ncred02 - If I use my Oppo for volume control, it's a digital volume that throws away resolution. I'd rather have an analog volume control in the preamp. |
|
|
|
Post by ncred02 on Dec 17, 2015 6:25:46 GMT -5
Hey Boom, been a while
I think I hit the sweet spot with system. I listen a lot now and truly cant think of what I would change, (except for tube amps!!)
|
|
|
|
Post by Boomzilla on Dec 17, 2015 6:34:05 GMT -5
Tube amps are a COMPLETELY different animal! If you like what you hear, don't mess with success. My experience is that some speakers really like the output transformers of tubes, but it's HARD to predict which they are. Besides, tube power amps throw off huge amounts of heat, require periodic rebiasing, and tend to be less reliable than SS amps. Therefore, my preference is for tube preamps & SS amps. OTOH, many swear by tube power amps. C'est la vie say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell...
|
|
|
|
Post by garbulky on Dec 17, 2015 7:57:02 GMT -5
Hi Glenn. If you want to hear a good preamp my friend has the Manley jumbo shrimp tube preamp ($3.8 K )in his system with his Vandersteens. We can go there one day and take a listen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post by vneal on Dec 17, 2015 8:19:51 GMT -5
 There is an answer. McIntosh C2500 TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION 0.08% FREQUENCY RESPONSE +0, -0.5dB from 20Hz to 20,000Hz +0, -3dB from 10Hz to 100,000Hz MAXIMUM VOLTS OUT (BALANCED / UNBALANCED) 16/8 V RMS INPUT IMPEDANCE (BALANCED / UNBALANCED) 44K ohm, 22K ohm PHONO VOLTAGE GAIN 60dB HIGH LEVEL VOLTAGE GAIN 15dB SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO 100dB DUAL MONO POWER SUPPLY No DUAL MONO, FULLY BALANCED No CONNECTIVITY HEADPHONE OUTPUT Yes 1/4", High Drive INPUTS UNBALANCED 6 Stereo + 2 Phono INPUTS BALANCED 2 Stereo VARIABLE OUTPUTS UNBALANCED 3 Stereo VARIABLE OUTPUTS BALANCED 3 Stereo DIGITAL USB INPUT 1 (2.0, 32/192 Asynchronous) DIGITAL COAXIAL INPUT 2 DIGITAL OPTICAL INPUT 2 DIGITAL DIN (SACD) INPUT 0 PHONO MOVING MAGNET Yes, adjustable PHONO MOVING COIL Yes, adjustable RECORD PROCESSOR LOOP Yes INPUT LEVEL MATCH Yes, +/- 6dB HOME THEATER PASS THROUGH Yes CONTROL TONE CONTROLS Bass and Treble TONE BYPASS AND INPUT ASSIGN Yes RS232 CONTROL INPUT Yes, 9 pin POWER CONTROL OUTPUT 1 Main, 2 Switched, 2 trigger REAR PANEL DATA PORTS Yes, 8 REAR PANEL IR SENSOR INPUT Yes GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS MULTI-CHASSIS OR SINGLE Single, two layer OUTPUT METERS Yes TUBE OR SOLID STATE Tube, 6 ea. 12AX7a ON, POWER CONSUMPTION 50 watts WEIGHTS & DIMENSIONS DIMENSIONS (W X H X D) 17.5" (44.45cm) x 7.625" (19.37cm) x 18" (45.72cm) WEIGHT 30.5 lbs (13.8kg) SHIPPING WEIGHT 46 lbs (20.9kg) |
|
|
|
Post by Boomzilla on Dec 17, 2015 8:22:15 GMT -5
Hi Glenn. If you want to hear a good preamp my friend has the Manley jumbo shrimp tube preamp ($3.8 K )in his system with his Vandersteens. We can go there one day and take a listen. Probably more than I want to spend, but I'd love to hear it! |
|
|
|
Post by Boomzilla on Dec 17, 2015 8:23:27 GMT -5
Alas, again more than I'd like to spend. Ideally, I'm shooting for $1K but for a McIntosh C220, might go up to $2,500. |
|
|
|
Post by garbulky on Dec 17, 2015 8:25:35 GMT -5
For $2500 you can demo these in your living room!  |
|
|
|
Post by vneal on Dec 17, 2015 8:34:24 GMT -5
There is a sweet looking Audio Research LS 26 on Audiogon
|
|
|
|
Post by Boomzilla on Dec 17, 2015 8:38:19 GMT -5
But if what I'm trying to get is tube sound (and, based on hearing the Yaqin, I think that that's what the Axioms like), the Yggy won't do it. Nor will my current XSP-1, although so long as I still need subs, the Emotiva preamp is a necessity...
I'm hoping that the Axiom Audio M-100s will have sufficient bass that I won't need the subs, and for those few songs where I want "OMG" bass, I can merely turn up the (cough, cough) bass tone control on the preamp by a notch.
Now to do this, several things have to happen:
A tube preamp with tone controls and sufficiently clean sound must be present
The M-100s will need to take sufficient drive in the bass to allow higher excursion than my M-80s (the high-power, high-excursion woofers should make this happen)
The power amp(s) will need sufficient current capability AND damping factor to drive the M-100s (four ohms or less in the bass) - XPA-1Ls may or may not suffice...
The speaker positions that supply the best imaging must also be able to provide sufficient bass (and based on what I've heard, I'm thinking that they will)
So...
Should all the above come to pass, I may be in "garage sale mode" for a whole bunch of equipment that I no longer need including:
Crown XLS-1500
Emotiva XSP-1
Long wires for surround speakers
Infinity bookshelf speakers
Klipsch bookshelf speakers
PowerSound Audio XV-15s (TWO!)
four pairs of speaker stands
LOTS of LONG interconnects
Yaqin VK-2100 tube-hybrid integrated
and maybe even a pair of XPA-1Ls...
Time will tell.
|
|
|
|
Post by brubacca on Dec 17, 2015 9:30:07 GMT -5
Jolida Fusion Dac/Pre has a balanced in and out. It has a remote for volume. I don't think that it has tone control.
Why not try a tube buffer on the processor loop of the XSP-1.
I have a B-283 Grant Fidelity Buffer that I could part with.
|
|
|
|
Post by Boomzilla on Dec 17, 2015 10:40:07 GMT -5
Hi brubacca - The Grant Fidelity buffers I see on Google search seem to have RCA (unbalanced) inputs / outputs only, not XLRs. Does your unit have XLRs? The Jolida Fusion does seem to have XLRs, and is ~$1K, so it could be a contender... Keeping the XSP-1 offers several advantages: Tone control, bass management, & I already own it. But it offers some disadvantages too - I won't be able to sell it & defray the cost of the replacement electronics. We'll see... |
|
|
|
Post by garbulky on Dec 17, 2015 10:43:43 GMT -5
DIBS ON THIS  |
|
|
|
Post by audiobill on Dec 17, 2015 12:34:40 GMT -5
Boom, Balanced Audio Technology makes a very, very fine tubed preamp with a remote and of course balanced.
Top Drawer when I had the VK-31SE in my system.
You may want to rethink the tube pre/SS power amp approach - I am delighted with just the opposite, thinking the transformer/speaker voice coil mating is responsible for the magic when well matched.
|
|
|
|
Post by Boomzilla on Dec 17, 2015 13:07:27 GMT -5
I've previously tried a Rouge Magnum 88 (fully tube integrated) with (I think) my Axioms & was thoroughly underwhelmed. I also had a Jolida tube DAC, and although it was an excellent DAC, it lacked the magic of the Yaqin. Maybe I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. If the Yaqin and the Axioms are a synergistic match, and I'm beginning to think they are, maybe I should just smile & let it be? I'm suspecting that my bud, garbulky, won't be quite so enthused about this combo as I, but it's my ears I'm trying to please!  ? |
|
|
|
Post by garbulky on Dec 17, 2015 13:19:37 GMT -5
You can send the output of the XSP-1 to the Yaqin. Then you'd have subwoofer mangement and tone controls
|
|
?