Tube Pre before or after?
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If you want to add a 2 ch tube pre-amp before the SM you only need one as the SM has only one 2 ch input. If you want to add it after the SM it would require 2, 2ch pre-amps. The bigger question is: why?
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Hi, I have a SM 3 and it sounds great. Just wondering if I can add a bit of tube magic? The SM3 is transparent, so I guess I could put a Schiit Valhalla 2 in front and use it's pre-out? I Use a Mojo 2 as source, play music from my devices, PC. Eventually use it with phono stage also.
I use my Schitt Vali 2 to level match the input from turntable preamp driving a long cable to SM eval board with good results.
Other than low noise & good fidelity, not hearing any "tube magic" with these old ears.
Tube magic? I think the highest goal of audio gear is to be neutral & transparent. Which you say the SM is & I agree. Why degrade from that?
You make a great point. It has been a long time since I've had a tube in any hifi gear. Maybe I'm just curious? Maybe the brain does like large amounts of even order distortion? for now it is moot, Val 2s are no longer on sale for 50% off at Schitt. I'm gonna wait until Val 3 is out and read some reviews, go to a can jam and have a listen.
In general, a preamp is used to boost signals from a low-output device like a phono cartridge or a microphone to line level. So if you’re doing something else (just unity gain with tube distortions, which some people like), that wouldn’t be a preamp.
I have a NAD preamp on the output of my turntable. It’s solid state (my only tubes are CRTs - too long a story for this post) and it feeds my SM.
So to answer your question as I understand it, you probably only need one preamp, unless you have more than one turntable with different tech (MM and MC) cartridges.
I have a NAD preamp on the output of my turntable. It’s solid state (my only tubes are CRTs - too long a story for this post) and it feeds my SM.
So to answer your question as I understand it, you probably only need one preamp, unless you have more than one turntable with different tech (MM and MC) cartridges.
Thanks barfle, I also like the Valhalla as a good headphone amp. Which is its designed intent, it also has a pre-out. Since it is OTL I am curious about it. Even though it doesn't measure very well it still gets great reviews? I will get a chance at some point to hear one.
Sorry, not familiar with the product. I have a small power amp that I intend to use as a headphone amp, but that’s not a priority project yet. It’ll be connected to one of the “zone” outputs of my Marantz 7706. and controlled by my Logitech remote.
Tube magic! It is a myth that tube sound is just added harmonics, although that is (depending on the circuit) to a lesser or greater extent a part of it.
Tubes are actually much more linear than transistors, typical designs use less feedback which is one additional reason that they just sound better. High voltage designs are almost impossible to overload and even if driven to clipping the soft clipping is much easier on the ears.
I like to refer to the sound of those vintage seventies amplifiers as having "transistor sound". Tube amplifiers and preamplifiers never exhibit that same type of distortion. I do admit that more modern amplifiers having improved greatly don't exhibit that same slightly off colour sound.
In my main system I use a homebuilt Joe Curcio "Daniel" preamplifier designed (published in Audio Amateur). I've modified it over the years and nothing makes vinyl sound better. It brings out much greater detail than most other preamplifiers. My vinyl sounds as good as or better than a typical CD!
I also use another Curcio design an electrostatic headphone amplifier that sounds fantastic. If one was to criticize it you might say that it is very analytical. It brings out everything both good and bad. Joe in his Glass Audio article says that he uses it to set up/evaluate his turntable/vinyl setup.
Modern op-amps sound quality is very neutral, so for signal processing I would not likely bother with tubes. As a line stage after the SM you could use tubes and that would require two stereo units.
The main disadvantage of tubes is the cost of commercial units. As a DIYer the added cost is minimal.
Tubes are actually much more linear than transistors, typical designs use less feedback which is one additional reason that they just sound better. High voltage designs are almost impossible to overload and even if driven to clipping the soft clipping is much easier on the ears.
I like to refer to the sound of those vintage seventies amplifiers as having "transistor sound". Tube amplifiers and preamplifiers never exhibit that same type of distortion. I do admit that more modern amplifiers having improved greatly don't exhibit that same slightly off colour sound.
In my main system I use a homebuilt Joe Curcio "Daniel" preamplifier designed (published in Audio Amateur). I've modified it over the years and nothing makes vinyl sound better. It brings out much greater detail than most other preamplifiers. My vinyl sounds as good as or better than a typical CD!
I also use another Curcio design an electrostatic headphone amplifier that sounds fantastic. If one was to criticize it you might say that it is very analytical. It brings out everything both good and bad. Joe in his Glass Audio article says that he uses it to set up/evaluate his turntable/vinyl setup.
Modern op-amps sound quality is very neutral, so for signal processing I would not likely bother with tubes. As a line stage after the SM you could use tubes and that would require two stereo units.
The main disadvantage of tubes is the cost of commercial units. As a DIYer the added cost is minimal.
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