2. amps-preamps
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Class D amp with Tube Preamp Combo?

Have you ever tried a good class D/T amp & tube preamp combination? I have read their can be some occasional problems matching these together?

I was thinking of going this way to get the drive, clarity and efficiency of the switching amp combined with the warmth and full body of the tube pre amp.

What setup are you using?

My first post by the way! I have been reading this forum for the last two weeks learning about audio and what to buy for my first serious system.
jaffa_777
yoby
290 posts
 
Im using a deHavilland Mercury II preamp with the NuForce 9.02 SE V2 amps in single ended mode with stunning results
tgrisham
1,179 posts
 
Yoby, you hit on a great combination. A sweet tubed pre-amp with a SOTA class D. I ended up with my Modwright while looking for a deHavilland. Funny thing, nobody wanted to sell theirs! Still, I love my rig. I wish I could hear everyone else's rig. Wait, maybe not, I would just spend more money!
jaspert
157 posts
 
I have a Supratek Chenin tube preamp usually paired with a Bryston 4BSST driving a pair of Dynaudio Confidence C1 in a 5x4 m room. I just picked up a pair of used but fairly new Bel Canto Ref 1000 monoblocks 2 days ago and was all excited about trialling my first class D amp after reading all the rave reviews, especially 6moons.

Well after 3 days, i'm disappointed and perplexed. Adding the BC Ref 1000 has sucked the life and excitement out of my system. The high sounds rolled off to me,lacking air and i struggle to hear the attack/leading edge of piano strokes during Solo piano recording. Soundstage depth is so so and everything sounds a bit homogenised.

My personal taste is for a bit of warmth and bloom in mid range as a neutral system will grate my ears after a short while. I'm aware of the tubey warmth some reviewer has elluded in the reviews but this is too much. So far it's no high end bargain.

I don't know how many hours they had before i got them and wonder if burning in will help. I left them powered on as suggested but the sound is still lacklustre so far. Gr.....
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
Well, three days isn't enough burn-in, but if you like extra midrange bloom, then Bel Canto is probably not for you. Rowland will not work for you either. You'll need excellent sources with most Class D/ICEPower amps.

Dave
guidocorona
4,114 posts
 
Bel Canto are never bloomy Jaspert. But your BCs are likely needing several hundreds hrs of real playing time (probably 500 to 1000) before stabilizing. . . . Turn on the tuner and let the creatures make music for a spell. . . and it may very well be that in the end you will still not enjoy them, or you may find Nirvana instead. Also consider that switching amps like better to be used in a balanced configuration. One last issue is impedance matching between your Chenon and the BC. What's the output impedance of the pre and input impedance of BC? g
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