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[captrajesh]

Most Audio gurus do say that Tubes are most linear amplification devices but lack power. So hybrid is a good approach.

That would be a blanket statement Hiten (IMHO) and may be a result of some design deficiency. I'm saying this from my personal experiences. YMMV

 

[Hiten]

That would be a blanket statement Hiten (IMHO) and may be a result of some design deficiency. I'm saying this from my personal experiences. YMMV

Took as much precaution as I could captain so as not to start debate.

Sorry I should have been more elaborate. For preamplifiers where gain is little tubes work as most linear devices.
Warm regards

 

[captrajesh]

Took as much precaution as I could captain so as not to start debate.

You don't have to be defensive Hiten, healthy debates which leads to knowledge sharing is what forum should be about.

Sorry I should have been more elaborate. For preamplifiers where gain is little tubes work as most linear devices.
Warm regards

Quoting from BAT's Rex Balanced Preamp page

Specifications:
Maximum Gain: 17dB

Imagine! 17 dB gain from a preamp!

 

[TheCoolestOne]

Superb writeup, amazing setup and great pictures. Your "music room" looks huge.

 

[prasen_b]

I would be interested in knowing the price of the amplifier. Just an approximate figure like between 1-1.5 lac or a more precise figure on PM. I have a Jolida Hybrid integrated currently which I bought without much thought to the technicals since it was available used. But the tube sound has grown on me and I think in future I would either end up with a tube pre + SS power or a better hybrid integrated. Could you also list the manufacturer and model of the stock pre amp tubes.

 

[soulforged]

Nice! :clapping:

Thanks for the pics!

Pathos makes some really nice looking amps...and some overly ornate ones too...this one's a stunner...

Been a fan of hybrid sound...the best I heard was a Blue Circle integrated several years ago...

 

[GeorgeO]

Coaltrain

Nice write up and nice environment. Why dont you drop by at the diy workshop at Indiranagar (Anutone) this Sunday and meet up with some of us? The thread is in the diy section.

Cheers

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Coaltrain, you have a beautiful room full of beautiful things. I'm not experienced to comment on your choice of equipment, I'm sure it is great and does justice to your music collection.

I auditioned a Primare once, but it was outside my budget. I fell in love with the volume control! Never mind the music, I'll never forget the weight and smoothness of that knob!

 

[coaltrain]

just realised that i hadn't hit the thanks button yesterday. my bad. anyway, better late than never!

@ hiten and capt rajesh
being a complete luddite, i'm a bit lost regarding the technicals you're referring to. could you kindly elaborate in layman's terms? from my limited exposure to tubes, i have a fair idea of their sonic characteristics. unfortunately, i have no idea of the 'why'.

@ prasen
i got the amp from audio people in chennai through a friend. i believe the price is around 1.8 to 1.9. however, as my friend has picked up some fairly exotic gear from audio people (oracles, halcros, martin logans), i was given a really good price. sort of like the french fries you get free on the side with your club sandwich

regarding the tubes: i've not checked them yet, but from what i've read online they are electro harmonix 6922s.

@ soulforged
is the blue circle you mention available in india? would love to get more info on these unusual hybrid designs.

@ george
many thanks for the invitation! i checked out the thread and immediately realised i would be waaaay out of my depth in such a high tech environment
however, the prospect of listening to vinyl is very tempting. will check and revert to santhosh asap, if i can make it. thanks again!

@ thad
as a lifelong couch potato, i love my remotes but i do agree: the primare has a bulletproof construction that oozes quality.

 

[Shivam]

@shivam
those chairs are like the rug in The Big Lebowski: they tie the room together
'

I would be scared of the resonances those metal tubes from the chairs can produce.

 

[soulforged]

@ soulforged
is the blue circle you mention available in india? would love to get more info on these unusual hybrid designs.

IIRC, its a Canadian brand. Not sure if it is available in India. I heard it in US...Denver to be precise. The person whose place I heard it also mentioned that if you want to go hybrid, you should go SS pre + Tube power. Never experienced that config...

 

[jls001]

The person whose place I heard it also mentioned that if you want to go hybrid, you should go SS pre + Tube power. Never experienced that config...

I have heard the exact opposite advice -- tube pre + SS power

But I guess these conventions are not etched in stone and either combination works.

 

[GeorgeO]

Some time we can do a AB comparison I have both valve and solid state pre and power amps. I listen to both combos and like them both, but lean towards valve power amps for 2 channel audio.

 

[soulforged]

Some time we can do a AB comparison I have both valve and solid state pre and power amps. I listen to both combos and like them both, but lean towards valve power amps for 2 channel audio.

Sounds like a good idea!

 

[Hiten]

Imagine! 17 dB gain from a preamp!

Thanks captain. Didn't knew that. New things to learn. But did you see electronics in that preamp. Amplification should be done with as little components as possible.

@ hiten and capt rajesh
being a complete luddite, i'm a bit lost regarding the technicals you're referring to. could you kindly elaborate in layman's terms? from my limited exposure to tubes, i have a fair idea of their sonic characteristics. unfortunately, i have no idea of the 'why'.

I am also newbie and I learn as I post. For example Decibels and Impedance topics are too complicated for me to understand fully. But let me try to put in simple words what I have posted and correct me if I am wrong.

Preamplifier being the first stage of amplification if it does amplification with as less distortion and noise as possible the better so as the audio signal remains true to the source. At low gain (Preamplifer) stage comparatively tubes are generally considered most linear*. Also If I remember correctly they produce low order distortions compared to higher order (upper fq. range) so sound good to ones ears**.

*FIRST WATT SIT INTRO
Thats why Nelson Pass designed SIT amp on new device which has valve characteristics. An opportunity to hear it was missed by Mumbaites recently.
** Subjectively
Regards

 

[Absolute Phase]

One of our Absolute Phase client too uses the Pathos Classic One and the Digit CDP along with the ProAc Response 1SC bookshelf speakers. A set-up done by me from him. Pathos go very well with the ProAc's.

 

[captrajesh]

@Coaltrain I'm no expert but will make an attempt to explain in simple language. The feeble analogue musical signal (typically about 2 dB) from the DAC (on board or stand alone ) needs to be amplified sufficiently to be able to drive the speaker whose mechanical vibrations reproduces the original music. Now this task is performed in two stages, 1st by the pre amp / pre-stage of an integrated amp & 2nd by the power amp/stage.

The preamp stretches it to impart a gain of (typically) 12 dB. Even this is not sufficient to drive the speakers & hence a power amp/stage is needed to impart a gain of (typically) about 28 dB gain. If the signal is pure analog from a TT, the signal is even more feeble & you require an additional phono stage to stretch it to be able to be handled by the line (pre) stage.

Now my analogy is, a tube is like a goldsmith & a transistor is like a blacksmith.

Hope experts like my analogy.

 

[coaltrain]

Some time we can do a AB comparison I have both valve and solid state pre and power amps. I listen to both combos and like them both, but lean towards valve power amps for 2 channel audio.

that would be extremely helpful to noobs like myself, taking their first tentative steps into the world of tubes. perhaps, your next workshop could be on valve/solid state amplification? keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[mbhangui]

Now my analogy is, a tube is like a goldsmith & a transistor is like a blacksmith.

Hope experts like my analogy.

Nice analogy. Very accurate and funny too hyeah:

Wondering what analogy you will have for Integrated Circuits.

I am also getting introduced the the vacum tube sound since yesterday (Cadence Arista + VA 1.0). Better late than never.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Wondering what analogy you will have for Integrated Circuits.

Factory production lines? Especially the fully automated ones without a human in sight.