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Pure tube or hybrid? (Read 5693 times)
flargosa
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Posts: 83
Pure tube or hybrid?
04/25/19 at 19:18:18
 
Do you guys go pure tube or do you hybrid your components?  Maybe tube pre with solid state power amp or vice versa?  What is your preference?
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Sources: 2Qute, Hugo 2, Rega P5, Marantz SACD 8005.
Amps: Decware SE84UFO2, Torii, Nelson Pass Aleph, Elekit 8600s
Speakers: Tekton, Golden Ear Triton Two, HD800S.

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Lon
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"Love without
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worthless!"
Philip K. Dick

Posts: 24094
Re: Pure tube or hybrid?
Reply #1 - 04/25/19 at 19:22:11
 
Tube all the way!
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HR-1,ZBIT,ZROCK2,SEWE300B,CSP3-25mod; Rega RP3 all GrooveTracer mods;PSAudio:PST+DSD, DAC Mk II, P15,NPC,PowerBases,AC-12 pwr cbls, Reference spkrcbls; Mapleshade SamsonV3; VooDoo:Cremona+Amati interconnects, IsoPods; headphones: Sennheiser HD800S,ZMF Ori,Oppo PM1
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Tal
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Posts: 128
Re: Pure tube or hybrid?
Reply #2 - 04/25/19 at 20:34:49
 
All tube except for a Schiit Saga pre, which is tube hybrid. I purchased the Saga to see if a pre improved anything, and the Saga is an inexpensive option to "test the water". Also the Saga matches my Schiit DAC. I may eventually purchase a CSP3  
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SE84UFO2 25A mods x2, ZP3 25A mods, CSP3 25A mods, ZRock2 25A mods, Rega P3-24 Incognito tonearm rewire and Groovetracer mods, Bob's Devices SUT > ZP3, Denafrips Pontus + Hermes, Bluesound streamer, Zu Soul VI, Omega DeepOmega8 sub,
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Palomino
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Posts: 2491
Re: Pure tube or hybrid?
Reply #3 - 04/25/19 at 20:41:34
 
My DAC serves as a pre so I guess hybrid.
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Mac Mini with LPSU/SSD running Audirvana Studio, Uptone Audio Regen on LPSU, Mytek Brooklyn DAC+, Ven Haus DIY Silver ICs, 25th Ann. Zen, PS Audio P5 Power Supply, PS Audio/DIY Power Cords, GR Research Speaker Wire, Lii Audio P10 based OB speakers
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Melvin
Ex Member



Re: Pure tube or hybrid?
Reply #4 - 04/26/19 at 13:55:24
 
I don't use a pre with my SE84UFO and my DAC has tube output stage. As pure as I'm gonna get.
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slop
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Posts: 31
Re: Pure tube or hybrid?
Reply #5 - 04/26/19 at 17:53:33
 
I like my lta MZ2 in front of my zen UFO. It slightly betters the sound/soundstage and the 3 volts it outputs, is very welcomed by the amp.
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HockessinKid
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Posts: 1135
Re: Pure tube or hybrid?
Reply #6 - 04/26/19 at 18:03:29
 
Pure tube for my system, less my digital side (PC, CD transport & DAC). But everything routes through my CSP3-25 preamp and ZMA amp.

HK
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Nottingham Interspace TT w/ Audio Technica AT-OC9XML cart + Modwright PH 9.0XT phono OR MWI modded Cambridge CNX V2 > CSP3-25th A preamp > ZMA-25th A amp > PI Audio UberBUSS > Caintuck Audio Lii15 Magnum speakers > SDFB's > Snake River Audio & ZenWave cables
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flargosa
Senior Member
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Posts: 83
Re: Pure tube or hybrid?
Reply #7 - 04/27/19 at 03:15:45
 
Does a tube preamp with ss power amp sound like a tube amp with more power or does a SS power amp take away the some of the tube sound?
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Sources: 2Qute, Hugo 2, Rega P5, Marantz SACD 8005.
Amps: Decware SE84UFO2, Torii, Nelson Pass Aleph, Elekit 8600s
Speakers: Tekton, Golden Ear Triton Two, HD800S.

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Doug
Seasoned Member
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Posts: 280
Re: Pure tube or hybrid?
Reply #8 - 05/08/19 at 19:17:23
 
For the past few weeks I have been driving my SS LFD NCSE with my CSP3 25th preamp.  This combo is delivering the most beautiful music imaginable.    
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Jay’s CD2T-Mk3
Denafrips Pontus II
ZROCK2 25th Mods
CSP3 25th & Custom Mods
PAP Quintets with Voxativ 1.6
First Watt J2 or Cary 300SEI
driving Voxativs—no crossover
LFD NCSE driving 15” Woofers
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Doug
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Posts: 280
Re: Pure tube or hybrid?
Reply #9 - 05/08/19 at 20:19:24
 
Just re-read your question.  It’s possible, as in my case (LFD NCSE), that a SS amp can have more of that euphonic “tube sound” than a tube amp.  It’s my opinion, after owning and using 3 Decware amps, that they do not have that traditional “tube sound.”  Instead, they resolve detail like it’s nobody’s business, they are super clean and fast, and they present a massive soundstage with superb imaging.  I don’t think many have described Decware amps as having a warm tube sound that we all know.
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Jay’s CD2T-Mk3
Denafrips Pontus II
ZROCK2 25th Mods
CSP3 25th & Custom Mods
PAP Quintets with Voxativ 1.6
First Watt J2 or Cary 300SEI
driving Voxativs—no crossover
LFD NCSE driving 15” Woofers
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Tommy Freefall
Seasoned Member
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Posts: 404
Re: Pure tube or hybrid?
Reply #10 - 05/09/19 at 20:40:21
 
Has anyone tried pairing up a Decware tube preamp – say a CSP3 – with one of Nelson Pass’ First Watt SS amps?
If so how did that work out?
Are those two compatible?
Is that a satisfactory combination?
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Torii MkIV w/ 25th ann mods
Rachael SE34I.5
Benchmark AHB2
Zu Audio DWX Supreme
ERRx
ZStage, ZRock2
Tascam CD-240
Border Patrol DAC
Benchmark DAC3 HGC
Bluesound Node
Zu Audio Mission speaker cables
Decware I/Cs
PI Audio MiniBUSS
Zenhead, Grado 325e, Z
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armstdav
Seasoned Member
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Posts: 179
Re: Pure tube or hybrid?
Reply #11 - 05/10/19 at 05:24:30
 
I didn't own any Decware back then, but I spent a period of a couple years with an F4 clone and a couple different tube preamps. The F4 was pretty transparent so it basically transmitted whatever the preamp was doing; with the Wright WLA12A it was warm and tubey and with the Jolida Envoy it was fast and detailed. Having subsequently owned a CSP3, I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work.
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