Dear Norm: +++++ " Groove and more recently, my Whest and ASR Basis Exclusive experiences, none of them did for me what the top performing tube-based gear has done.... " +++++
If you heard those SS phonopreamps in your system and the only thing that you do was to disconnect your tube unit and connect the SS one then I understand your statement.
It is almost imposible that with a totally different technology you could hear the differences for the good/bad with out " touching " any single link on your audio chain, it is the same if you pass from SS to tubes : what we have to do is to set up again our whole system: VTA, load impedance, cables, speaker position, etc, etc.. If the new unit is really a very good one then this new unit could tell you some problems that you have in your system and that appear with this new unit in the system chain. As a fact those problems always were there but the " old " unit hiding through its lesser quality and higher distortions/noise/colorations. You don't have to be and engineer to have a point on this statement, everyone can do it.
If with the new unit you don't like what you are hearing you don't have to conclude that this new unit is the problem, why? you have to do a research for to know where is the problem because maybe the problem is in other place in the system and till now you never knew you already have it.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
If you heard those SS phonopreamps in your system and the only thing that you do was to disconnect your tube unit and connect the SS one then I understand your statement.
It is almost imposible that with a totally different technology you could hear the differences for the good/bad with out " touching " any single link on your audio chain, it is the same if you pass from SS to tubes : what we have to do is to set up again our whole system: VTA, load impedance, cables, speaker position, etc, etc.. If the new unit is really a very good one then this new unit could tell you some problems that you have in your system and that appear with this new unit in the system chain. As a fact those problems always were there but the " old " unit hiding through its lesser quality and higher distortions/noise/colorations. You don't have to be and engineer to have a point on this statement, everyone can do it.
If with the new unit you don't like what you are hearing you don't have to conclude that this new unit is the problem, why? you have to do a research for to know where is the problem because maybe the problem is in other place in the system and till now you never knew you already have it.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.