First, an honest confession: While I've been using solid state amps for over 25 years now, I've been fascinated with tube gear ever since I heard their magic many moons ago. Often, I would find myself fantasizing about the ultimate indulgence: 2 hifi setups, one tube and one solid state! That would seem like the only way to enjoy the best of both worlds. Until now...
I've recently discovered something called a 'Hybrid Tube Amp': an integrated amp with a tube preamp coupled to a solid state power amp section. I'm aware that many use this technique with separates like the Acoustic Portrait pre/power combo, but I hadn't come across this in an integrated before.
Enter the Pathos Classic One MkIII.
I chanced upon this amp while checking out their top-of-the-line Twin Towers integrated. (Purely out of curiosity. Like all Italian beauties, the TT is bloody expensive!) The Classic One is their entry level offering and promises to deliver the benefits of tube and ss, without their respective drawbacks. Could this actually be true? I had to investigate further!
Before I get into the details of how this amp sounds, here's some background on my setup, musical preferences, listening room, etc. That way, you can decide for yourself if our tastes are in sync, and if it's worth checking out such a system.
Setup:
CA 840C > Pathos Classic One MkIII (in place of Primare I30) > ProAc Studio 140
- CDP and amp run balanced via Mogami Gold Studio XLRs
- Speakers are biwired with Chord Odyssey
Music:
Jazz: Trane, Miles, Monk, Mingus, lots of classic Blue Note, hard bop, big band, modal, fusion... the works.
Classic rock/modern rock/blues/soul: Steely Dan, Hendrix, Dylan, Beatles, Tull, James Brown, Booker T, Doors, RHCP, etc.
Electronica/alternative: Massive Attack, Gomez, Prodigy, Leftfield, NuJazz, Talvin Singh, Turin Brakes, etc.
Vocalists: Ella, Tom Waits, Cohen, Suzanne Vega, Peter Gabriel, India Arie, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, etc.
Hardly any Western or Indian classical music.
Listening Room:
24' x 18' x 9' (not including the dining area)
No specific room treatment of any kind.
Speaker Setup:
8' apart. 3' from front wall. 5.5' from side walls. Toe-in of 20 degrees.
Each speaker is 10' to listening position. The latter is 5' from rear wall.
Amp Specs:
- 2 x 70W @ 8ohms; 2 x 135W @ 4ohms
- Can be bridged for mono 180W @ 8ohms at the flick of a switch
- 2 x 6922 tubes in the preamp section, operating in balanced, pure Class A, with zero feedback
- Dual-mono solid state output stage, operating in Class A/AB
- 5 line inputs, including one balanced (XLR)
- Remote volume with 100 steps in half db increments
The Sound:
Here's the part where I rant about veils being lifted and musicians magically materializing in my living room, right? Well no, not quite
You see, my Primare I30 is a clean, powerful performer with great bass and drive. So, it's not about a quantum leap in sound quality, but rather a different style of presentation. I'm sure there are fans of both styles.
What I'd like to do is make comparative notes of the ss amp vis-a-vis the hybrid one. That way, you can decide for yourself which design would suit you better.
- Bass
This was my biggest concern. Would the Pathos at 70W and a tube pre be able to match the grunt of 100 solid state watts? As it turns out, I needn't have worried! Coupled with the 91db sensitivity of the ProAcs, the Pathos delivered excellent bass, especially at the lower end. In comparison, the Primare's upper bass was a bit fuller and the low end energized the room to a greater degree. (glass shelves in the next room rattle when the Primare is dishing out Massive Attack!)
Do keep in mind that I live in an apartment and do not play at 'let's call the cops' levels. Typically, volume averages around 80db, with 96db peaks. (using the Decibel app for iPhone) If you're a hardcore headbanger, the Primare might be the better choice. I, for one, was extremely happy with the tight, tuneful bass from the Pathos. My guess? it's the amp's solid state section at work here.
- Treble
No doubt about it, the Pathos has a sweeter top end than the Primare. This is especially evident on old recordings like Miles' Kind of Blue, where his trumpet can get a bit abrasive on the ss amp.
The Pathos also has a bit more air around instruments, so the highs feel more... ummm... 'airy'. I presume this is its tube DNA at work. Both amps seem to have well extended high frequencies.
- Midrange
Ahhh, the magic of tubes! I have no clue how Pathos have managed this in a hybrid design, but this sounds like a tube amp all through the midrange. The overall balance is warmer than the Primare.
Naturally, voices benefit the most. But saxophones, guitars and pianos also sound more lifelike on the Pathos.
- Dynamics
Again, I suspect the tubes are playing a hand here. The Pathos sounds huge! The music swings from soft to loud in a heartbeat, while retaining the tone and texture of instruments. Vocalists also have more presence, and seem to take a step ahead of the backing band.
- Timing
Usually, I force myself to ignore timing completely. Then, halfway through the listening session, I sometimes realize that my feet have been tapping away furiously to the beat. That's when I know the gear is timing well! Both amps are great at rhythm and timing. No preference of one over the other.
- Soundstage
Both amps offer rock solid centre images and good positioning of instruments. The Pathos has a deeper soundstage that starts from just behind the plane of the speakers and goes back further, while the Primare is more upfront. Soundstage width seems about the same for both.
- Detail
Both amps offer excellent detail retrieval, but the Pathos is a few notches ahead as the instruments breathe better. Also, the Pathos doesn't seem to throw detail in your face. Rather, it's just there. You can choose to lose yourself in the music, or decide to focus on the minutiae. The choice is yours. Which brings me neatly to the last point:
- Emotion
Ultimately, for me, it's all about the music. I'm definitely not losing sleep over trying to recreate a live event. Or trying to figure out how many inches to the left of the drummer the bassist is standing. I'd rather be air drumming along with Mitch Mitchell on Manic Depression; or experiencing a lump in my throat when listening to Coltrane's Naima.
And this is where the Pathos truly excels. Both the Primare and the Pathos can really get your blood pumping. But the Primare sends it to your brain; the Pathos to your heart.
Conclusion:
If, like me, youve been fascinated and intimidated by tubes, do check out this hybrid approach. It may sound like a comprimise to some, but when the music sounds this good, something must be working right!
Well, I guess I've rambled on long enough. Time for me to go shoot some pix of the Primare for the classified section! Happy listening. And heres hoping you don't take as long as I did to see the (tube) light at the end of the tunnel
Note:
No, I'm not Italian or related to Pathos in any way. I'm just a music junkie with lots of CDs and no TV
The Pathos Classic One MkIII
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
The Listening Room (aka the living room, in most normal households)
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
The view from the sweet spot
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
What it's all about: My pride and joy
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
I've recently discovered something called a 'Hybrid Tube Amp': an integrated amp with a tube preamp coupled to a solid state power amp section. I'm aware that many use this technique with separates like the Acoustic Portrait pre/power combo, but I hadn't come across this in an integrated before.
Enter the Pathos Classic One MkIII.
I chanced upon this amp while checking out their top-of-the-line Twin Towers integrated. (Purely out of curiosity. Like all Italian beauties, the TT is bloody expensive!) The Classic One is their entry level offering and promises to deliver the benefits of tube and ss, without their respective drawbacks. Could this actually be true? I had to investigate further!
Before I get into the details of how this amp sounds, here's some background on my setup, musical preferences, listening room, etc. That way, you can decide for yourself if our tastes are in sync, and if it's worth checking out such a system.
Setup:
CA 840C > Pathos Classic One MkIII (in place of Primare I30) > ProAc Studio 140
- CDP and amp run balanced via Mogami Gold Studio XLRs
- Speakers are biwired with Chord Odyssey
Music:
Jazz: Trane, Miles, Monk, Mingus, lots of classic Blue Note, hard bop, big band, modal, fusion... the works.
Classic rock/modern rock/blues/soul: Steely Dan, Hendrix, Dylan, Beatles, Tull, James Brown, Booker T, Doors, RHCP, etc.
Electronica/alternative: Massive Attack, Gomez, Prodigy, Leftfield, NuJazz, Talvin Singh, Turin Brakes, etc.
Vocalists: Ella, Tom Waits, Cohen, Suzanne Vega, Peter Gabriel, India Arie, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, etc.
Hardly any Western or Indian classical music.
Listening Room:
24' x 18' x 9' (not including the dining area)
No specific room treatment of any kind.
Speaker Setup:
8' apart. 3' from front wall. 5.5' from side walls. Toe-in of 20 degrees.
Each speaker is 10' to listening position. The latter is 5' from rear wall.
Amp Specs:
- 2 x 70W @ 8ohms; 2 x 135W @ 4ohms
- Can be bridged for mono 180W @ 8ohms at the flick of a switch
- 2 x 6922 tubes in the preamp section, operating in balanced, pure Class A, with zero feedback
- Dual-mono solid state output stage, operating in Class A/AB
- 5 line inputs, including one balanced (XLR)
- Remote volume with 100 steps in half db increments
The Sound:
Here's the part where I rant about veils being lifted and musicians magically materializing in my living room, right? Well no, not quite
You see, my Primare I30 is a clean, powerful performer with great bass and drive. So, it's not about a quantum leap in sound quality, but rather a different style of presentation. I'm sure there are fans of both styles. What I'd like to do is make comparative notes of the ss amp vis-a-vis the hybrid one. That way, you can decide for yourself which design would suit you better.
- Bass
This was my biggest concern. Would the Pathos at 70W and a tube pre be able to match the grunt of 100 solid state watts? As it turns out, I needn't have worried! Coupled with the 91db sensitivity of the ProAcs, the Pathos delivered excellent bass, especially at the lower end. In comparison, the Primare's upper bass was a bit fuller and the low end energized the room to a greater degree. (glass shelves in the next room rattle when the Primare is dishing out Massive Attack!)
Do keep in mind that I live in an apartment and do not play at 'let's call the cops' levels. Typically, volume averages around 80db, with 96db peaks. (using the Decibel app for iPhone) If you're a hardcore headbanger, the Primare might be the better choice. I, for one, was extremely happy with the tight, tuneful bass from the Pathos. My guess? it's the amp's solid state section at work here.
- Treble
No doubt about it, the Pathos has a sweeter top end than the Primare. This is especially evident on old recordings like Miles' Kind of Blue, where his trumpet can get a bit abrasive on the ss amp.
The Pathos also has a bit more air around instruments, so the highs feel more... ummm... 'airy'. I presume this is its tube DNA at work. Both amps seem to have well extended high frequencies.
- Midrange
Ahhh, the magic of tubes! I have no clue how Pathos have managed this in a hybrid design, but this sounds like a tube amp all through the midrange. The overall balance is warmer than the Primare.
Naturally, voices benefit the most. But saxophones, guitars and pianos also sound more lifelike on the Pathos.
- Dynamics
Again, I suspect the tubes are playing a hand here. The Pathos sounds huge! The music swings from soft to loud in a heartbeat, while retaining the tone and texture of instruments. Vocalists also have more presence, and seem to take a step ahead of the backing band.
- Timing
Usually, I force myself to ignore timing completely. Then, halfway through the listening session, I sometimes realize that my feet have been tapping away furiously to the beat. That's when I know the gear is timing well! Both amps are great at rhythm and timing. No preference of one over the other.
- Soundstage
Both amps offer rock solid centre images and good positioning of instruments. The Pathos has a deeper soundstage that starts from just behind the plane of the speakers and goes back further, while the Primare is more upfront. Soundstage width seems about the same for both.
- Detail
Both amps offer excellent detail retrieval, but the Pathos is a few notches ahead as the instruments breathe better. Also, the Pathos doesn't seem to throw detail in your face. Rather, it's just there. You can choose to lose yourself in the music, or decide to focus on the minutiae. The choice is yours. Which brings me neatly to the last point:
- Emotion
Ultimately, for me, it's all about the music. I'm definitely not losing sleep over trying to recreate a live event. Or trying to figure out how many inches to the left of the drummer the bassist is standing. I'd rather be air drumming along with Mitch Mitchell on Manic Depression; or experiencing a lump in my throat when listening to Coltrane's Naima.
And this is where the Pathos truly excels. Both the Primare and the Pathos can really get your blood pumping. But the Primare sends it to your brain; the Pathos to your heart.
Conclusion:
If, like me, youve been fascinated and intimidated by tubes, do check out this hybrid approach. It may sound like a comprimise to some, but when the music sounds this good, something must be working right!
Well, I guess I've rambled on long enough. Time for me to go shoot some pix of the Primare for the classified section! Happy listening. And heres hoping you don't take as long as I did to see the (tube) light at the end of the tunnel
Note:
No, I'm not Italian or related to Pathos in any way. I'm just a music junkie with lots of CDs and no TV
The Pathos Classic One MkIII
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
The Listening Room (aka the living room, in most normal households
)
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
The view from the sweet spot
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
What it's all about: My pride and joy
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
By coaltrain at 2012-07-08
