I thought about doing, the same thing, with my Majik! I think of older ARC, or CJ? I believe, somebody else will come forward, that actualy "mixed" the two? G. Luck! |
good idea-yust the ticket. but, i'm not sure about your price-point - may have to spend a bit more. i 1st tried the rogue 99 - great sound, but poor bass - i tink the impedance input of my x-over ( i run subs-n-sats) was too low, at 25kohms. your 10kohms will be even worse. so, i tried a cary slp98, & a melos music director. well, the cary smoked the rogue in *all* areas, but the music director is simply amazing! amps consist of a pair of electrocompaniets bi-amping my monitor speakers, & a pair of bridged adcom gfa-555's driving my subs. now for shameless plug: wanna buy a cary slp98l, perfect condition? ;~) doug. (ps - i had a linn kairn w/brilliant p/s prior to my tube-foray). |
Yes it is a good idea, the tube preamp with smooth out the solid state sound. Get any Conrad Johnson. The PC-10 would be an excellent choice. |
i used to have a carver tfm35 that i used with a cal icon mk ii. i added cj's pv10al. it warmed the sound right up. and provided me with more detail and a better all around sound. i later used the pv10 with cj's mv55 when i decided to leave solid state. in short, a tube pre coupled with a solid state amp is a good idea in concept. listen to a few combos to insure the the execution comes off well. give the pv10 a listen. good luck. |
I am currently using a Sonic Frontier Line 3 to drive a Bryston 4BST. The results are very close to what I get with a Krell KSA 200. Overall I am very happy with the results. |
Ssing2- I am using a BAT vk3i pre w/McCormack DNA 0.5 dlx. Line stage only but sounds great and superior to the ARC SP9 MKII hybrid pre, which is now parked while I decide whether to sell or use in a 2nd system in my office. However, ARC phono stage was excellent, so depends on your source. However, I agree with others that this is a good way to go and avoids the high cost of feeding tubes to a power amp. |
I have used a CJ PV10 first with an Adcom amp and for the last 4 years or so a Classe CA200. I think tube pre with ss amp is a perfect combo. The PV10 is outstanding IMO. |
I agree with pops, the tube pre solid state power amp is a great way to go. I have the Audible Illusions M3A preamp and ARC 100.2 power amp and I love this combo. If you play LP's this preamp is unbeatable for the money. Good deals are out there on used units. |
I have a Golden Tube SEP1-se I use and bi-amp with an Adcom 535 and GFA545II. In my other system I have an Anthem Pre1l wich I have used with the Adcoms. It's a great preamp, and you could probably get a new one (there's still a few around) for $775, or s used one for $500. Stereophile liked this one. |
I've used the CJ PV-12L mated to a CJ SS Amp. Wonderful pre-amp. One of CJ's best kept secrets. It did not get a lot of press. Although I'm currently not using a pre-amp, I do miss the CJ. New, the line stage retailed for $1800. I'm sure that you could find a good deal on one. |
CJ will give a very warm, lush sound. Maybe even look into to Golden Tube, Manley, or Quicksilver which are not SO warm. For you AR and SF may not be warm enough. Also, do not rule out the use of a CD player with tube output(Ah! Tjoeb, Cary, Jolida, etc.) if your CDP is old. |
Did the same, times two, really. I have an AH!Tjoeb and a VTL 2.5 running into a Bryston 4b-st amp. It sounds really swell. However, one thing that I have recently found to be a little more annoying than I initially gave it credit for is that I just can't seem to manage to get the tube rush down to a level that I like. (I've retubed the pre twice with allegedly fancy tubes). The Tjoeb is as quiet as a churchmouse, but the VTL is not. For most kinds of music that I listen to it is perfect, but I've found that, with a recent classical purchasing spree, although the dynamics are stunning, during the otherwise quiet times the tube rush can be noticable and annoying. Just my experience, and hopefully one that is remediable because the sound is otherwise very much to my liking, but possibly a valid consideration. |
Hi Ssing; If you really want to stay within your $600-800. budget, the Sonic Frontiers SFL-1 with a a mullard tube is rich and warm, and is available used in your price range. The stock Sovtek tube makes this pre-amp much more neutral. Tube rolling is easy and inexpensive because it only has one tube. I happily used this pre-amp with a solid state McCormack amp for several years. Good Luck. Craig. |
Garfish beat me to the punch. The SFL-1 is definitely worth looking into. |
Ssing: I've usually used a tube front end and a SS amp combo for years. I trade my equipment off once a year or so (like most of us I suppose)and I'm turning over my AR LS-3 and replacing with my 5th Conrad Johnson tube preamp. The LS is incredibly fast and transparent and one of the most neutural ss preamps I've ever had and like it a lot. But the CJs' seem to breathe life into my system like no other tube preamp I've heard under $2000, and believe me, I've had many. I typically use a class "A" ss power amp because they just seem to get the phase and harmonics right while retaining a lot of air and 3-D space. While I can certainly get this with a tube amp, it has been my experience that while I get a nice richness in the bass, I can't get the control, bottom end punch or ultra low frequencies I require without re-mortgaging my house to buy a new high powered tube amp, or paying $500(or more)to retube a used one. Don't forget about interconnects too. As I'm sure your're aware, a great cable can really open up a system, just as a lousy one can turn great components from Hi-fidelity to walkie-talkie. Morbius |
I have to thank all of YOU, for the advice! I will currently audition the used CJ pv-10, that i "borrowed" from my local dealer, just for about one week. I don't know if i will be able to come to definite conclusion but...? Also, the interconnect that he gave me is MIT Ythe Link 100! Thanks Again! Satwanth |
I have used a CJ PV11 for years with a Krell KSA100 MK2. Iknow 3 other people that use this combo although with a PV10A and a PV9A all systems are awesome. great combo. |
Conrad PV10, Anthem Pre1L, Pre 2L, Presence Audio Linestage 1 |
How about the Audio Electronic Supply AE-3 tube pre-amp (made by Cary). $399 as a kit! $599 assembled! For $800, you could have them build it, and even get the optional oil filled caps and JAN tubes. |
