I can only comment on hearing it with Jim's Tannoys. Tube like?..I don't know.... after actually hooking up a real tube amp the difference was stark.
Jim Tannoys don't need much power and I find speakers tend to have to find their amp mate to be happy. The Naksa on the Tannoys pretty much annoyed everyone in the room, but it was supposed to work well with the Lenehams but I only heard that combo briefly which sounded pretty good. Tube like? I have never heard SS do what tubes do, and I have heard some big buck SS amps. The best of the SS designs tend to get out of the way of the music and not leave a SS signature. They become acceptable, really good tube amp designs become pure musical engagement, but I am biased toward the tube sound. They do dimensionality like no SS can, dimensionality coupled with good tone and air just goes along way to create emotional engagement for me.
Not knocking SS designs< I am currently using a 1000 watt SS amps now, and they sound great, but they do not sound like a tube amp

what combo was pushing the Lenehans?

Quote from: rollo on September 13, 2011, 07:15:55 AM

 It may have not been the Naksa. The goldpoint passive might not have been a good match. I could not find the input sensitivity spec on their site. Passives require an input sensitivity of under 1mv preferably half that. If not the top thinned out and can get fatiguing.

I've never seen an input sensitivity listed for a passive preamp, only input impedance.

Right from Naska, which impedance attenuator would work best: http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/showthread.php/28374-NAKSA-Review/page9

Since the standard Goldpoint is 25K, it should have been a decent match.  

 Sorry I did not be specific. It is the input sensitivity of the amp  . I meant the amp requires a low input sensitivity of less than 1mv. not Passive Pre. The CDP needs at least a 2V output as well for the match of all times. 
   Mike really not sure which combo you heard. I believe both were used.


charles
SMA
  

............This is the second straight year I have missed Jim's rave...I am a bad raver.

So did I, mun! as I get ready to head home (now in Beijing).  My last chore today is to hunt down some Chinese audiophile? CDs.  You know, it's a rarity now, those CDs.  There's only 1 shop in NYC Chinatown that sells them.  Here in Beijing, not many such shops either,tho local ones still sell them, but they mostly sell duped ones, and few audiophile ones.  Well, there are those audiophile "auto" CDs now though, perhaps in vogue.  I do have a couple of addresses I learned from last time (didn't get around to visit), which I will try to hit today.  See you sooooooon!

shek,
Bring back some Chinese wine!!

Tooo late pal.  I am set to leave early tomorrow morning.  It did cross my mind though, but.... We actually passed an area and the tour guide (local guide) mentioned that the grapes from that are rivals that of the French.  So, perhaps it's just time when the Chinese will have competitive wines as good as the Frenchies?  7-8 yeras ago, I was on the Yangtze cruise, and at the table, someone from San Fran did buy a bottle of Great Wall (which seems to be THE brand I saw around here) and shared it with the table.  I had a little, but.... not being a coinisseur, I couldn't critique it.  Besides, old age has caught up, and I have forgotten that taste..... Chinese cars are coming statside soon, so wine should be along soon.

Today was CD shopping, or rather hunting, since China is famous for dupes, and therefore it'd be hard to find a place that sells good quality ones.  I had some leads, but some ran empty (out of business, sham kind of a place.....).  I did buy several at the store next to the hotel I stayed last Sept. (I remembered that!).  Then, I went to the "publisher" listed at the back of a CD I got in Chinatown.  You know what, the place is delapidated, the store closed, and the office was behind, but the guy I caught had no idea what I was after.  Then, I was told about a book store, a biggie, like a Barnes & Noble magastore.  Tons of CDs, good ones, bad ones.  I picked up several more.  There are audiophile original ones, like DGG, Decca... but.... they are more $$ than I'd pay in NYC (about $20 each).  I didn't pick up any, like DG SACDs, 4Ds.....originals really.

See you later!  Will be on an early flight home tomorrow.  Trying to relax aftger the shopping hike.