PrimaLuna Prologue Five amp. PrimaLuna Prologue Premium preamp. Decware Zen amp. Schiit Freya +. Looking at the Pro-Ject Tube Box S2 for a new phono preamp.
I would think about a tube phono-amp. The signal coming out of your cartridge is very low and tube coloration might/could negatively affect it.
BTW - I have a PL Evo 400 pre-amp and amp, so I’m obviously not against tubes, and my phono-amp is a Pro-Ject RS2.
Tube head here… I’ve upgraded my home Head-Fi rig with a Woo Audio WA2, moving old stuff to my office: a WA3 along with my old Rega DAC and a Bluesound Node 2i, listening with Sennheiser 660S 'phones.
The twenty somethings I work with just roll their eyes, but they are very curious. I am thinking about bringing in one of my cassette decks to complete the look.
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Do it!
Then a photo of the looks on their faces please!
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8 Track? That would be classic.
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I just ordered a Decware Zen class A tube amp. It’ll take as long as a year to get it (each amp is built completely by hand). I’ve had PrimaLuna tube amps before and really loved them.
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Xduoo TA-26 tube amp for my Sennheiser HD600. Used solid state in the past but this Senns really shine with some tubes.
Swap original tubes with NOS RCA 6AS7G and Tung Sol 6SN7GTB.
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Primaluna Evo 400 integrated. At the moment I run:
Power tubes - 2 Quads of Psvane KT88 UK HiFi edition.
Gain tubes are NOS Brimar CV4003
Pre tubes are current production Tungsol 12AU7
Very happy with that setup.
The KT88 made the bass nice and tight after the stock EL34.
Tend to run the Amp in triode most of the time.
Also an Xduoo TA-10R in one of my headphone rigs for pair of HD650. It’s uses a single buffer 12AU7 and I have a mixed box of NOS and current production that I roll in. Has a current production Genalex Gold Lion in at the moment. Cracking little setup for low outlay.
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I’m using MusiShare EL34, have re-tubed to EH EL34 and JJ ECC803 and ECC802. I also changed the coupling caps from original MusiShare to M-Cap Superme. Overall, I love the sound both when listen from my speakers and headphones in the comfort of my room.
Re-cap to M-Cap Superme…
For headphones listening I use Sennheiser HD-650 in Triode mode
Using Roon Nucleus (not shown) and RoPieee as endpoint and Topping D30 Pro DAC. Speakers are Dali Oberon 5
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Primaluna Evo 200
Power TubesTung Sol KT 150
Radiotechnique 12AU7 gain tubes
Primaluna pre tubes (will be upgrading these soon)
Very impressed with what I hear. The KT 150 really opened everything up have switched back and forth and no comparison.
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Love it - but where’s the turntable?
Thanks
I am working hard on it. As the saying goes All good things come to those who wait.
Cheers
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Imminent tube shortage will affect us. Only today I came to realize that many if not most new tubes are made in Russia. Already many online sites are short of stock and prices are way up. Got me today a pair of Tung-Sol 12AT7 and a pair of NOS Ken-Rad 6V6/VT107 tubes…
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One of the recent additions to my system, for the bedroom, is a Bellari HA540 tube headphone amp. I love this thing. It’s taken my bedroom hifi to a whole other level. I have a Monolith Monoprice THX AAA 887 headphone amp, which is very nice, but it was a poor match to my AKG 712 Pros, which are somewhat difficult to drive headphones even though they’re only 60 ohms. They are a bit on the sterile side, very analytical but the Bellari just breathes this life into them and they sound amazing.
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Probably panic buying rather than supply shut off will be the problem.
From my tube supplier -
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Linear Tube Audio MZ3 for my headphone system. I love it so much that after 40 years of loyalty to Naim I’m trading my main system Naim amps for an LTA Z40+ as a retirement treat.
All tube McIntosh C8 and McIntosh MC275 MKVI which feeds / powers my small zone facing of the sofa with Wharfdale Lintons.
The C53 / Anthem power my large speakers for the full room
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I’ve had my Riviera AIC 10 bal for several month now and I am still in awe every time I turn it on. I listen to it via Abyss headphones or very old dynaudio speakers. I haven’t had the funds to buy new speakers. I am interested in Audio Note or living voice speakers. But that will have to wait until next year.
I replaced the stock tube with a Tesla ECC802s NOS.
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In an article (which, of course, I can’t find now), the point was made that tube amps are sensitive to the extreme impedance swings of which many speakers are guilty.
Something to keep in mind.
I run Tannoy Stirlings with my PrimaLuna amp.
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PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium Preamp with Cifte 12AU7 NOS & Genalex Gold Lion Tubes into a McIntosh SS amp into Martin Logan Motion ESLs…