[Austin08]

^^^Look like the signal is bypassing the AVR's dsp.

Anyway, I have owned many tube components. The word "tube warm" is misunderstanding by many people. There are solid state components sound much more "tube warm" than the tube component itself. For example Pass Lab vs Rogue. Most Pass Lab component sound warm like tube and most Rogue components sound very much like solid state. OTOH, Conrad Johnson sound exact like tube and Krell sound exact solid state. It is all boiling down to how one audio designer implement his "toys and ideas" into one chassis. Enough to say, I like tube components. I could do tube rolling to alter the sound.

The bottom line is, There many factors that effect how your system would sound but in your case, you would need a separate amp to do a comparison. That way at least you know what is what.

[ricardojoa]

^^^Look like the signal is bypassing the AVR's dsp.

Anyway, I have owned many tube components. The word "tube warm" is misunderstanding by many people. There are solid state components sound much more "tube warm" than the tube component itself. For example Pass Lab vs Rogue. Most Pass Lab component sound warm like tube and most Rogue components sound very much like solid state. OTOH, Conrad Johnson sound exact like tube and Krell sound exact solid state. It is all boiling down to how one audio designer implement his "toys and ideas" into one chassis. Enough to say, I like tube components. I could do tube rolling to alter the sound.

The bottom line is, There many factors that effect how your system would sound but in your case, you would need a separate amp to do a comparison. That way at least you know what is what.

I guess an power amp is my next purchase in order to find the potention of my preamp.
One thing though Spacetech Lab makes a variety of amps, preamp and speakers. Without really having the unit to experiment, i went with his discription of the model, which in my model was the warmth sound.

[Ericus Rex]

Yep.  The tube sound everyone is talking about lives in the power tubes, in my experience.  You only get a smidgeon of it in the preamp tubes.  That's why I don't think of hybrids as being tubed amps.  They are more akin to ss amps in sound.

[kevin360]

The world of audio seems weird to me. It is imbued with some curious concepts. Getting 'tube' sound via a preamp has always struck me a little funny. In this circumstance, it's ill-advised. I can't think of any other way to phrase that. The only way you should notice a change in this manner is via adding distortion. That you can't hear a difference simply means that the device you introduced to your signal chain approximates a wire with gain - a good thing.

The small signal world is a piece of piss - easy peasy. When the voltage swings large and the resistance plummets is when things get more interesting. If there's a difference to be heard between tubes and solid state, surely the power amplifier is its locus. In my experience, the difference is (or, at least, can be) rather subtle.