Tubes? Transistors? Which are better?

Bob: Meandering divergence from the matter-at-hand contributes to interesting conversation. However, due to the interelatedness of most things, it often returns to course. You have nailed one problem, i.e.,hyper-concern for resolution. Many modern system configurations are simply too microscopically detailed in their rendering. E.g., occasionally during concert performances there are instances of harshness, shrillness, glare etc. which are absorbed into the mass of the audience and hall during a performance, yet are picked up in excruciating detail by very sensitive microphones during the digital recording process. Additionally, even fairly recent digital recordings sometimes sound overloaded. And older analog recordings done with mildly distortive tube electronics... (you can hear it on many of the early Mercury recordings..it wasn't nearly as noticeable when we listened to those pressings in the '60s). All of the previous can be very unattractive when played back on a system which is too revealing.(Have you ever noticed how unappealing the hollywood beauty can be when you're in the first row and her pores are 2"wide and nostrils a foot?) Of course, there have always been plainly bad recordings. For some, the ameliorating effects of tube electronics serve to smooth out many of these distractions. And it's amazing how effective the discreet application of the heretical tone control can be in making a bad recording listenable. Pax

Sedond: Glad we've found some agreement. But I've never considered myself one of the sheeple and I definately am no ewe.

Wald - diverging is OK, I wasn't squaking 'bout that; just getting back to the original point for a bit. Now then: Tone controls? TONE controls you say? Wald you don't know how much I sometimes yearn for the flexibility of my good old Lux (solid state) Ultimate preamp. Not the ultimate in resolution anymore, but it had high & low filters, plus boosts & cuts at 3 different slopes, Plus variable-turnover bass & treble knobs using all stepped-attenuators And a tone-defeat button (which was engaged >95% of the time). But when you needed to futz around with a bad source, man that thing could really clean house! The Minimalist Designs have taken all of that away (but they apparently forgot to adjust prices accordingly). I sometimes used that old Lux, via a tape-loop, for those ugly situations. It's not in the rack right now, but the idea was to have that hi-res. system capability and still be able to musically enjoy some of those borderline sources. All that can be done anymore is to swap around power cords & interconnects when you want to play mediocre-sounding recordings. That is time consuming & hardly convenient; also goes beyond what I am typically willing to do. We could have it both ways, but the only components anymore that I've seen with any kind of tone controls are some bottom-line NAD. But then again there's always Circuit City - arrrgh!

hi bob, for tone controls, mark levinson's old company *cello* made some spendy preamps w/tone-controls. but, they're solid-state! ;~) they sometimes appear f/s used, but still wery spendy. never heard 'em myself, except at a show, but they always have garnered excellent press. for less-than-perfect recordings, i have a dbx-3bx in a tape-loop, & a jvc xpa1010 surround-sound ambience processor w/settings for 20 different hall-venues, driving a 4-channel amp & corner-speakers, from a 2nd main out on my preamp. both of these are completely out of the circuit-path when not in use, and the surround-sound is out of the main speakers' signal path, even when in use. these devices are very useful for making less-than-perfect recordings enjoyable. doug

Doug you just made me remember my Yamaha DSP-1 signal processor with matching M-35 4 channel amp that I used in the same configuration as you are currently using. There are 2 ambient channels for the front and 2 for the rear. Can keep the volume low enough that it never became obtrusive to the sound while offering ambience extraction to dry recordings. I haven't used the thing for 9 years since I moved into my current room but it really improved matters on less than stellar recordings.