2. amps-preamps
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Tube Preamp, Amp or Int for holographic imaging?

I am pretty new to High end, but was drawn to it after hearing some music with a holographic soundstage. Since then I've been on a quest to reproduce it in my own apartment.

I listen exclusively to vinyl music at home(nothing against CDs, I just personally find Vinyl more charming and collectible), and am currently hooked up to a Planar 3. I am using my home theater receiver as an amplifier, since I don't yet have a second system.

I've been using the Graham Slee Era Gold V for a preamp. It sounds great in everything except its ability to project the sound forward and leave the notes hanging in the air (at least on my system). My main goal in audio is, at present, getting that holographic soundstage, and I have read that tube amps do it best. My main question is, would it be enough to switch the phono preamp to a tube (probably the EAR or anything else someone wants to recommend), or should you have both preamp and amp be tube? In that case, what would be a good integrated for exclusively vinyl under $1k used (Jolida is the only well reviewed one I know of)?

Finally I have played around extensively with speaker placement, and some dampening. I get 'some' sense of depth (maybe imagined), but the images rarely seem to suspend in air. Also, the music still seems to come from behind the speakers most of the time, and I feel if I could just get the voice and front instrumentals to jump forward a foot or so I'd be perfectly happy.

Thanks for reading, any input is welcome.
superapplekid
tvad
9,467 posts
 
Speaker placement is essential to get the "image suspended in midair" sound. It seems to me you probably haven't nailed your speaker placement yet.

Tube amplification will enhance the three dimensional sound once you've found the correct speaker positioning, but your speakers must be designed to work with a tube amp, otherwise the result will be unsatisfactory.

What speakers do you own?
sufentanil's avatar
sufentanil
776 posts
 
Tvad is right on the money. You need to have speakers, proper positioning, and an appropriate room for the best imaging. This implies also amplification/preamplification that is appropriately mated to the speakers. That said, I find that having tubes in the entire process (preamp + amp +/- source) raises the probability of holographic imaging, with the tube amp probably being more important than the tube preamp.

Michael
amandarae
512 posts
 
Speaker placement is essential to get the "image suspended in midair" sound. It seems to me you probably haven't nailed your speaker placement yet

Bingo!

He,he,he not all problems in audio can be solve instantly by replacing SS amps or preamps with tube amps or preamps.
Experiment cheap first (speaker positioning, proper TT set up, etc.). ....then go SET he,he,he
unsound
6,115 posts
 
Anothr nod to Tvad on this one.
tbromgard
787 posts
 
Try speaker placement and room treatment. Divide the room in 5ths. Place speakers in first 1/5 and your listening chair in the last 1/5 section. Make sense? Then take a hand hald mirror and while sitting in your listening chair, have a friend place the mirror on the wall near the right speaker. Then move the mirror along the wall until you can see the speaker in the mirrow while sitting in your chair. This is the first order sound wave-put a wall covering there. For better results, cont along the wall until you see the left speaker in the mirror-this is the second order wave-use wall treatment there too. Then do other side. You will be amazed at the results.
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