[ken6217]

Does anyone use a tube preamp with solid state headphone amp? I was wondering if I could use my solid state amp and still get that tube sound by using a tube preamp?

 

[Compassionator]

Yes, unless the tube preamp sounds like a solid state preamp.  What tube preamp did you have in mind?  Most will disagree but using any  preamp before the headphone amp will likely improve the sound in terms of musical "flow and pace" for lack of better terms.  Not to get into the passive vs. active debate, but both have their own virtues.  Actually, I'm a bit surprised that more don't use a preamp before their headphone amp.  But, hey, to each their own.

 

[ken6217]

 
Yes, unless the tube preamp sounds like a solid state preamp.  What tube preamp did you have in mind?  Most will disagree but using any  preamp before the headphone amp will likely improve the sound in terms of musical "flow and pace" for lack of better terms.  Not to get into the passive vs. active debate, but both have their own virtues.  Actually, I'm a bit surprised that more don't use a preamp before their headphone amp.  But, hey, to each their own.

Thanks for the reply. Actually I have no idea of which preamp. I was just thinking about it and then made the post. 
Any suggestions? Like to stay under $2K. 

 

[Compassionator]

Hmm, I would stay at around $1000 to start.  But if you know the sound you want you are better off looking at/over $3000, which at this point all preamps start pretty much sounding the same, regardless of tubed or solid state, although tubed costs less.  These prices are used/preowned prices.  Around 1k or so, there is the Dennis Had Inspire headphone amp which will also double as a preamp.  Same goes for the Berning Microzotl.  Both excellent and known to go both ways.  I would stay away from Audio Research, BAT, Mac as they tend to save the really good stuff at way over 3k, which at that point I would take a listen to.  The difficulty is that unless you know of a shop or friend that will let you configure a setup it will be hard to make a comparison.  Somehow, as mentioned, headfiers for the most part don't don't have preamp/amp setups to listen to at headphone meetings.  I'm guessing that the older headfiers do, though but don't say.  The Inspire amp mentioned above hooked up to a cheap tripath amp sounds incredible and will drive every headphone out there.  Yeah, I know it seems incongruous to hook up a $1,000 preamp to a $50 amp, but until you have tried, and depending on your headphone, you are likely to get better results than with a dedicated headphone amp alone.

 

[ken6217]

I have a Violectric V281 solid state amp. I have it hooked up with balanced cables. 
 
Interesting that you mention the Microzotyl, I had auditioned this for a few weeks in my home a few months ago. I had liked the sound as an amp. Build quality left a little to be desired. The inputs are single ended with no balanced inputs.
 
So in this case, I would go single ended from the DirectStream DAC >> Microzotl 2.0 >> Violectric 281. Is that correct? 
 
I assume the volume control on the DAC gets set to maximum as it is now with the amp volume control for the volume. What about the volume controls on the amp and DAC? How to set these?
 
Do you think this will give that nice tube sound?
 
Also what is your opinion of  used Cary SLP 98p tube preamp? Is this a good option?
 
Thanks,
Ken

 

[Compassionator]

I have not heard the SLP 98, but did hear the SLP 05 a while back and it was about as good as you are going to get as a dedicated preamp goes even against an Audio Research REF5se which is more expensive. Both the SLP 98 and SLP05 use the same driver tube and both were designed by Dennis Had.  You can find out if they share the same circuit design if you contact Cary Audio.  I know the the SLP05 has a dedicated headphone amp built in and a separate power supply, thus it is more expensive.   
 
DAC output if variable is done either by digital attenuation (subtracting bits) or voltage output control.  Most times it is best set at or near maximum output, unless it overloads the input stage of the preamp or headphone amp.
 
The only caveat is that the V281 was desgined to be a headphone amp and secondarily a preamp.  Given that it doubles as a preamp with balanced outputs, I suspect it already has some type of active gain stage before the amplifier stage, so adding a preamp (Microzotl) in this case is duplicative and might make the sound worse.  Most headphone amps only have a passive attenuator (sometimes very costly) before the amplification stage and that adding an active preamp to these types of amps would likely improve the sound.  

 

[ken6217]

I Spoke to Violectric. He said that it would be OK since the tube preamp would be used as a buffer with the volume maxed out. Sound correct?

 

[parbaked]

You can also just get a tube buffer or a tube DAC 

 

[ken6217]

That was the though process. The guy at Violectric sent me this ling. Looks interesting.
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nobsound-12AX7-Tube-Pre-AMP-Audio-Hifi-preamplifier-Ref-Maratz-7-/271511186006

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Originally Posted by ken6217 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Does anyone use a tube preamp with solid state headphone amp? I was wondering if I could use my solid state amp and still get that tube sound by using a tube preamp?

 

You will end up with two preamps in the same analogue chain. Why not just buy a hybrid amp?

 

Note that in the case of some powered speakers the reason why people hook them up to the preamp output from a headphone amp is to put the volume knob closer to their hand, as Master-Slave powered speakers while equipped with an actual volume control (as opposed to separate gain knobs on symmetrical monitors) will likely be positioned out of arm's reach.

 

[ken6217]

Can you suggest a good hybrid amp in the 2k-3k range?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Can you suggest a good hybrid amp in the 2k-3k range?

 
There's the Schiit Lyr2 for $399 and the balanced drive Mjolnir2 for $849. If you want to spend more than that there's the Cavalli Liquid Crimson at $3,000.

 

[parbaked]

I like the Apex Peak/Volcano:
http://www.ttvjaudio.com/Apex_High_Fi_Audio_Peak_p/aaa0001001.htm
http://www.ttvjaudio.com/Apex_Volcano_Power_Supply_p/aaa0000009.htm

 

[ken6217]

Thanks. Some great ideas!

 

[drumtones]

Yes, unless the tube preamp sounds like a solid state preamp. What tube preamp did you have in mind? Most will disagree but using any preamp before the headphone amp will likely improve the sound in terms of musical "flow and pace" for lack of better terms. Not to get into the passive vs. active debate, but both have their own virtues. Actually, I'm a bit surprised that more don't use a preamp before their headphone amp. But, hey, to each their own.

I use a schiit freya+ to a schiit jotuheim2 balanced & its sounds amazingly holographic & dynamic + get the benefit of remote control