Am I now a tube-o-phile?

BobM · « **Reply #20 on:** 26 Mar 2009, 04:45 pm »

Maybe there should be different designations of tubeosity:

- Master Tuber (tubes in source, phono stage, preamp and amp and own multiple types of each, i.e. SETs, push-pull, etc., and I have a 100 year stockpile of extra tubes in case WWIII hits)

- Journeyman Tuber (tubes in preamp and amp, with a small stockpile of extra's)

- Apprentice Tuber (I have tubes somewhere in the chain, but they're only small signal tubes)

- Novice Tuber (I've heard a system with tubes in it and I like the sound and the way they light up)

- Idiot Tuber (I like potatoes)

- Rock & Tuber (I have a tube amp that I plug my guitar into, dude)

Bob

cryoparts · « **Reply #21 on:** 26 Mar 2009, 04:47 pm »

Quote from: BobM on 26 Mar 2009, 04:45 pm

- Idiot Tuber (I like potatoes)

French fried?

Lee

JakeJ · « **Reply #22 on:** 26 Mar 2009, 06:00 pm »

Ummm...since I work in a french fry processing plant what does that make me? I mean other than a cholesterol murderer, that is.

knut_the_viking · « **Reply #23 on:** 26 Mar 2009, 11:08 pm »

Hmm...
Since people deep-freeze various items (like tubes/cables/etc) for a perceived benefit....

What would a deep-fried item sound like?
One assumes it would survive the treatment, and that the oil would be mostly cleaned off.

Hungry minds want to know...

ratso · « **Reply #24 on:** 26 Mar 2009, 11:23 pm »

13 tubes. surprised me i had that many

Scott F. · « **Reply #25 on:** 26 Mar 2009, 11:38 pm »

Quote from: BobM on 26 Mar 2009, 04:45 pm

Maybe there eshould be different designations of tubeosity:

- Master Tuber (tubes in source, phono stage, preamp and amp and own multiple types of each, i.e. SETs, push-pull, etc., and I have a 100 year stockpile of extra tubes in case WWIII hits)

That would be me

I'll even up the ante. I have a tubed crossover. The Audio Research EC3 that has 12 - 12AX7s (4 for each crossover band - low, mids, highs).

Granted, right now in my main system I'm only running a tubed pre (5 tubes), an SET amp (5 tubes) and a tubed DAC (1 tube). I'm using a solid state crossover and woofer amp.

If I got stupid about it, let me add up how many tubes I could run at one time; tubed pre with phono ( 8 ), tubed DAC (1), tubed XO (12), my Radii's on the Altec woofers (12), 300b SET on the Altec 511 horns (4), 2a3 SET on the horn tweeters (5). Holy schnikies...that's 42 tubes

....honestly, I never would have guessed that

....quick, somebody call the fire department

mfsoa · « **Reply #26 on:** 26 Mar 2009, 11:40 pm »

I considered myself to be an audiophile for years, and wanted nothing to do with tubes.

I thought they were unreliable, finicky and I thought that the sound quality by definition went south from the moment you turned the unit on.

Then I borrowed the VAC amp (below) just to see how it would compare to my CIA D200s. I was hooked (seduced) immediately.

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=43032.0

Now it's over. I added a VAC tube pre and tube phono pre.

Now I'm spending a lot of time dreaming about a new digital source, and not suprisingly, tube units have my fancy (The Audio Note kits look really nice).

So it's up to 14 tubes in my system. I have the feeling that I'll have more before I have less.

So yes, you are now a tube-o-phile.

(Or, "If you have to ask...")

-Mike

Crimson · « **Reply #27 on:** 26 Mar 2009, 11:56 pm »

My computer front end feeds a couple dozen tubes (25 to be precise: 22 in the power amps, 2 in the pre, and one in one of the dacs). I'm a tube slut (to be precise).

JakeJ · « **Reply #28 on:** 27 Mar 2009, 03:38 am »

mfsoa,

You need a new picture in your gallery with the VAC gear!

All I could find was what looked like Channel Islands stuff.

JakeJ

JoshK · « **Reply #29 on:** 27 Mar 2009, 03:39 am »

I guess I am pretty darn close to the master tuber category. Have the tube stash, have enough iron to build 6 or 7 systems. Have tube component projects for every part of the reproduction chain. I however, only have two working tube amps, one SE and one PP.

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #30 on:** 27 Mar 2009, 05:22 am »

I've had four tube pre's in a few systems over the years. A Dyna PAS, a Precision Fidelity passive, and a Counterpoint SA-5. All long time gone. I can't remember the SS pre they replaced. I use SS mono amps with my passive speaks so I have no first hand knowledge of tube power amps (tho I very much like what I've been able to hear). I know that you need to match impedances within certain boundaries if you are combining (not difficult). I do that, in fact, with my active SS driven speaks. I have heard and hear a Spectral combo that has very serious (!) hifi in a friend's system and I'm glad he is a good friend. I am using an Audio Research tube line stage, their least expensive at that, and gotta a good DAC. I plan to get a tube phono stage to replace what I am currently using (I dunno shit about computers and have a large album collection). If I could do anything more it would be to persuade artists to be devoted to my selfish interests. Gimme truth and transparency to you, sir or mam. IMO, you're into sumthin, dude.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #31 on:** 27 Mar 2009, 07:50 am »

Quote from: JakeJ on 27 Mar 2009, 03:38 am

mfsoa,

You need a new picture in your gallery with the VAC gear! All I could find was what looked like Channel Islands stuff.

JakeJ

Try....this link Jake.....

jrebman · « **Reply #32 on:** 27 Mar 2009, 02:49 pm »

Let's see... in the office/man-cave system, one in the DAC, 4 in the integrated amp, and 3 in the headphone amp, and aside from speakers and a laptop, that's the entire system. In the living room, which also serves for occasional movie watching (we are not into HT at all): 3 in the preamp, and 3 each in the monoblocks, and a couple more for the headphone amp. And finally, the bedroom system: 2 in the amp/headphone amp (under construction.)

And one (really two) projects under consideration or construction: One with 2 tubes and one with 7 or 9 depending on driver tube arrangement.

As for backups -- not as many as some of you folks, but a pretty good stash of a lot of the most desireable preamp and small power tubes, and a couple sweet rectifiers.

Journeyman, I'd guess.

Great thread.

-- Jim

JakeJ · « **Reply #33 on:** 27 Mar 2009, 03:31 pm »

Thanks, Chris! Musta missed that photo in his gallery. Pro'ly cuz you weren't leanin' on his speakers.

Having recently acquired a pair of VAC PA-160 mono amps I am really taken with their performance and think a VAC preamp is likely to find it's way into my system in the future.

Have fun gents,
Jake

mfsoa · « **Reply #34 on:** 27 Mar 2009, 05:27 pm »

Jake-

Saw a VAC Sigma pre on AGON the other day - If it's anything like my Std MKII you'll be very pleased.

-Mike

hmen · « **Reply #35 on:** 27 Mar 2009, 06:39 pm »

I have parallel single ended circletron OTL monblocks, a tube pre and a tube phono in my main system. A tube DAC and SET in my computer system. PP and tube pre in my living room and a tube DAC and tube pre in my bedroom. I have many spare tubes. I guess that makes me a Master Tuber. But if you add in my two tube testers and antique hardware store RCA tube advertising clock i come pretty close to Uber Tuber Meister.

woodsyi · « **Reply #36 on:** 27 Mar 2009, 06:51 pm »

Put it this way. I had to buy a tube tester (Hickok 6000A) to keep track of my extra OS tubes...

They multiply like bunnies on E-Bay and Craig's List.

Wayner · « **Reply #37 on:** 27 Mar 2009, 08:41 pm »

Well I must be a journeyman tube-o-phile, but I go both ways.......and that really sounds bad! I mean I also enjoy solid state. Good grief, I'll never live this down.

"Hey everybody, Wayner goes both ways, heh, heh". There, I'll just get that done for you all right now...happy?

Seriously, I really like my AVA U70 power amp. However, I really like to have a SS preamp driving it. Now that doesn't make me a purist, but I do think that too many tubes and we all lose. I just think the sound is too soft.

Wayner

JakeJ · « **Reply #38 on:** 27 Mar 2009, 08:54 pm »

Right there with you Wayner. I am driving my VAC amps with a highly modded McCormack ALD-1 that is almost a one-off of Steve McCormack's latest VRE-1 preamp. It's a wonderful match and John Hoffman (Affordable Audio) and Jim Hartley (original founding partner of Definitive Audio in Seattle) have both made positive comments on the combo.

Unfortunately I broke one of the high-falutin' WBT RCA jacks the other day

and although I could replace it myself I am considering sending it back and having other input jacks upgraded as well as having them install the Carbon Siltech internal wire upgrade on the outputs and the phono input.

Fortunately I had my trusty Quicksilver full-function preamp as a backup and can still listen to tunes.

JakeJ

mjosef · « **Reply #39 on:** 27 Mar 2009, 09:18 pm »

I use a SS pre with my tube amp also. I like the mix of SS with tubes.
In the warmer months I often use SS all the way or a Tube pre with SS amp.