CD players

Yes, so keep on!

Dont need blind tests...just try.
Indeed, Wikipedia describes well tube's sound.
More matter, more air, more precense, it's far beyond in the highs (i began to love violin as soon as i get my tube amp). But solidstate technology has its qualities, in the low/extreme low and in preamplification.
Many combinations are possible, as explains your soundstage article (hybrid preamp, hybrid integrated amp).
BTW, here's a nice cheap musical french hybrid integrated amp:


Kora explorer 90SI






But if you want musicality, tube is needed in the highs.
And if you have to have only one amp, it must be tube or hybrid.
    

Edited by oliverstoned - May 26 2006 at 08:48

"an amplifier needs to be neutral, its job is to take a signal & multiply it without adding anything to the original. Tube fans like the "warmth", which to me is another form of distortion. Also have issues with the premium price tag of tube equipment & reliability (ie, periodically replacing tubes)."


There you have never heard what a well driven tube amp can makes; good tube is perfectly neutral and goes far better in the highs than any solid state. It has nothing to do with any "extra warmth".

A 20 000€ Cello Reference II (top solidstate) can't even compete with a 1000€ Jolida in term of musicality -and so pleasure and emotion- and you'll hear things in the highs that you'll never hear with ANY solidstate.

Solid state has its quality in the low, babies like these Goldmund 9.4 ones are better in the low (quicker, more dynamic and impact) than any tube amp.




So the answer is biamplification with top solidstate in the low and top tube in the highs.



I know some solidstates ones which also work nice in the highs. But when you put a good tube (-and well driven/powered/filtered/wired, etc..) amp besides, there's no comparison.

Solidstate distors less than tube on the paper, but actually it's the contrary. It's extremely harsh and makes ham rape with highs when you compare.
(it can be explained by the pair/unpair's harmonics theory).

You quoted Parasound, yes it's not bad, but put a Jolida or a CJ besides and you'll understand...every guy who tried was convinced.

So the royal way is the bi-amp with tubes in the highs and good solid state in the low.

There's no rule concerning preamps which can be as well: tube, transistor or hybrid.
The best preamp in the world may be currently a solid state one, the "Mark Levinson 32 reference".


BUT, if you have to have only one integrated amp, it must be TUBE.

The cheap combination is a Jolida in integrated mode with a 38 cm sub (feat a good 200W solistate for bottom low/extreme low).The sub has the surprising advantage to enhance highs as well as low, image, dynamic.


                     To conclude:
            TUBES RULES, one time for all!!    
    
    
    



    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

Edited by oliverstoned - May 25 2006 at 09:22

So you have not heard tubes yet!

    

Edited by oliverstoned - May 25 2006 at 02:58

Nothing is better than a good stereo.
I've heard demonstrations with 5 excellent BW speakers
giving ridiculous results...Shady imaging, poor dynamic, not musical, whereas the speakers are excellent and two well driven give far superior results.
And forget processor, sell it back and buy yourself a good preamp/amp!
(The CD images i displayed up were not from mine but took from the net.) I don't use processor myslef, i'm against it.
    

Edited by oliverstoned - May 24 2006 at 16:33

^^Thought I heard something...Nah...Must've been the wind...

Sweet...I'm assuming you're operating in Europe? Nice setup, looks very heavy...I haven't gotten into the multi-channel music formats (DVD-A and/or SACD) personally, at least not yet, but I hear some of it's fantastic. I have heard various demos...Very dependent on the production of the source material though. Some producers not yet familiar with it & still experimenting tend to overemphasize certain channels,especially the surrounds, such that it no longer sounds natural...

I have no problem with that! Let's agree to only argue about analog vs. digital/computer in threads that have a compatible topic.

I'm still resisting, wolf. I did post, but not in the way that I usually do in response to oliverstoned, and which Empathy was referring to. So in a way - I'm still not posting.

Edited by MikeEnRegalia - May 23 2006 at 08:28

MikeEnRegalia wrote: Empathy wrote: I wonder if Mike en Regalia will be able to resist the temptation to post in this thread.  I can resist. It makes no sense for me to invade a thread about audiophile technology - let the fans of the technology be among themselves. I think I have to practice what I preach - and I'm always saying that you should post within the context of the thread topic whenever possible. So if the topic is "What is the best CD player", it makes no sense to spoil the thread by posting "computer drives can play CDs just as well as CD players". The question is: can Olivier resist to post a reply to this post?