Modern Linestages

Charles1dad,

My current tube pre is a well executed, pretty simple design and the best I have yet to hear. I share the same general assumptions as you, but I have not heard enough to say simple is best. I just don't know for sure. I would love to live with a well reviewed $70,000 pre for a month or so:-)

Over the years I have assembled many good sounding systems. One that was particularly pleasing included 3.5 watt set amps, zero oversampling battery powered dac, belt drive transport, single driver horn speakers and both a passive and simple active preamp. Great sounding system that however did not match the realism of my current system. My current system is more complex if you will. Soundlab M1 speakers with an active crossover which is much more complex then my past horn speaker.
My current 600 watt/channel amp is more complex then my 3.5 watt SET amps to be sure and so on..However the end result of this system is more like the real thing.

I bet I could assemble another simple system as good as what I now think is my reference, but just have not gone in that direction as I am most content.

In the end, I am not sure one way is better then the other. I just don't know.

On the amp front, the best sounding SS I have ever heard were some the Pass Aleph 3/2 and the J - all very simple in physical terms of parts and circuit - but always driving easy and sensitive speaker loads. Driving a tough speaker may require more complexity to deal with the load and necessary gain - it does seem his mantra is get the job done as simply as possible; which of course requires some serious design skills to execute - why haiku can be so difficult to do well -- simplicity is difficult.

Pubul 57,
Nelson Pass is an excellent exampe of a proven brilliant designer who devotes much thought and energy toward developing great designs as simply as reasonably possible. His newest First Watt SIT amplifier is a further advance along that path.

Grannyring I don`t question the quality of your system,I know there are complex components that sound very good. It just seems that talented designers who use their creativity and resources get better results following the simplicity path as opposed to the complex,multi-part,mutiple stages approach.

Charles1dad,

Did not mean to imply my system was all that .... Really just pointing out my experiences and I sure wish I could have another listening room with an equally well thought out "simple" system with SET tube amps. I have a place in my heart for them.

Charles1dad, regarding your examples- I don't know about all of them but I know about some and those are good examples.