Need advice for a tube pre-amp

[rollo]

  May I offer a constructive suggestion for your system ? IMO it is the Berhinger that is holding the  system back sonically. Meaning body, weight and soul. The Berhinger excels in bass management as per the original review.. As an EQ VG however it has a thin and dry character overall. Detailed with clarity but not full.  Not a bad thing just a synergy thing with your gear. Adding a tubed pre might change it a tad, however adding a tubed Pre without the Berhinger  might just do it for ya.
  Try if you like using the Berhinger for bass only. Run the amp full range and dial in the sub to it. The amp will not be strained.   Now if you have some tubey sounding tubes [ rich]  for the EE say RCA, Mullard try this first before inserting a tubed Pre. You might find the tube change and the MIA Berhinger a fine combo. If not full or rich enough then a tubed Pre is in order.
  If you cannot make up your mind on a new Pre an older CJ 10A will add the rich body and soul that you may desire. Worth a try .


charles
SMA

[JLM]

Charles,

The Fostex F200A full range drivers (30 - 20k raw) are not your typical Fostex fair.  With huge AlNiCo magnets they have tons of body and warmth (not lacking mid-bass or having a mid-treble nasual honk at all).  What I'm after is more palpability, dynamics, sparkle, and increased image size/density.

I'm pretty "married" to EQ as:

1.  I don't have a sub in this system

2.  It primarily serves to replace baffle step/zobel circuits which further allows a direct connection from monoblocks to drivers.

3.  Having flat frequency response has been a true epiphany to me (the sound just makes more "sense"), so I really don't want to give up EQ.

4.  Do you know of a good/not too expensive EQ alternative?


Interestingly, yesterday I made a minor discovery.  I'm in the habit of turning the EE DAC and monoblocks off while not listening, but accidently left them on while at work.  Upon my return the system did seem to sound better, especially the treble.  Hard to describe, but palpability and sparkle was noticably improved.

[richidoo]

4.  Do you know of a good/not too expensive EQ alternative?

http://www.juicehifi.com   

[JLM]

Rich,

That's no fair.  My system is computer free (so far).  I wanted to keep spinning CDs for as long as possible (waiting for the transport to bust and computers to improve sonically/dummy friendlier), but love my speakers with the EQ.

[richidoo]

I know, I am a cruel bastard!  It's just that I know you are a smart guy and can handle using a computer for music processing, and can appreciate the incredible power the computer brings to home audio - especially since you have no objections to digital processing since you're already using Behringer and class D amp.

If your computer has a SPDIF input, either integrated or on the sound card then you can process the incoming SPDIF digital stream in real time to be able to play CDs from a transport just as you are doing now.  So it would go CDP>PC>DAC, same as with Behringer. You could play analog sources too if your sound card has good A/D. AudioLense is an order of magnitude more flexible and powerful than Behringer. Of course you can also initiate playback on the PC for high resolution downloads, internet radio, Pandora, etc, but you don't have to do that.

AudioLense uses a mic to measure and it will correct the room to the degree that you specify, remove all group delay, as well as contour the EQ to your taste. If you were to add subwoofers later, they could be crossed to the mains with linear phase, with distance adjusted crossovers of whatever order you wish.

You can try the AudioLense demo for free. And thanks to people complaining to him, it now allows 90 seconds of actual processed playback at a time, so you can hear what it is really capable of doing before you buy it. Previously, it only changed the sound (reduced volume) just to see whether you could get it to work in your system, without actually doing the processing it showed on the screen. But that wasn't a very good sales tool.

It's a different path than traditional audio system, and it's not for everyone. After playing with computer audio all summer last year, I recoiled back to passive crossover and tubes amps now. But I was under soviet style rations last year and had to do everything with no new money. I will try again with proper budget after the current speaker project.

I'd like to learn more about your Fostex driver, can you post a link to it? Is it still made? Thanks

[opnly bafld]

http://www.fostexinternational.com/docs/speaker_components/pdf/f200a.pdf

[richidoo]

Thanks Lin!

[JLM]

Thanks Rich/Lin.

My goal is to go Mac Mini (they just came out with a new one, less money, more capacity, reportedly better sound, but no CD/DVD drive), but for now I still have a good transport and don't feel like spending lots of money (trying to save up for retirement in 5 years).  And I've also got an ordinary 5.1 HT system (I'm not a movie fan, includes pieces from previous "the" audio system), an ordinary living room audio system (another former "the" system which rarely gets used), and just need speakers to have a bedroom system (again former "the" system pieces, and I don't even listen in the bedroom), so I don't really need more equipment.  So I was hoping an inexpensive pre-amp might help.

Someday, when one stop computer audio solutions exist (hint to all those vendors, manufacturers, vendors out there) I'll be eager to jump in.   

The Fostex F200A isn't cheap, but remarkable in terms of being "full" range (whatever you define as full range), detail, and the full bodied AlNiCo sound.  Add a Martin King inspired mass loaded transmission line, EQ, and Bud Purvine EnABL treatments and you've got my current speaker. 

[Maxamillion]

Weds we will be putting in a Bybee music rail and Vcap POIMP caps to replace the Jupiter HT's in the outputs of my friends Mapletree.
Will let you know what happens

I just rebuilt the EQ unit that came with my Infinity RSIIb speakers (again), and included Bybee Music Rails on the +/-18V supplies. Here is a link to the post I made on DIYAudio site, with a picture of the install and before and after scope shots showing the effect of the Music Rails on power supply noise. The unit is completely transparent now, and sounds great matched with my Supratek preamp and Gilmore Raptor amps.

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/everything-else/192689-bybee-music-rails-my-experience.html

[rollo]

Charles,

The Fostex F200A full range drivers (30 - 20k raw) are not your typical Fostex fair.  With huge AlNiCo magnets they have tons of body and warmth (not lacking mid-bass or having a mid-treble nasual honk at all).  What I'm after is more palpability, dynamics, sparkle, and increased image size/density.

I'm pretty "married" to EQ as:

1.  I don't have a sub in this system

2.  It primarily serves to replace baffle step/zobel circuits which further allows a direct connection from monoblocks to drivers.

3.  Having flat frequency response has been a true epiphany to me (the sound just makes more "sense"), so I really don't want to give up EQ.

4.  Do you know of a good/not too expensive EQ alternative?


Interestingly, yesterday I made a minor discovery.  I'm in the habit of turning the EE DAC and monoblocks off while not listening, but accidently left them on while at work.  Upon my return the system did seem to sound better, especially the treble.  Hard to describe, but palpability and sparkle was noticably improved.

   Interesting it sounded better. We never turn off the CDP or DAC. A no brainer, why ? I don't know but it sounds better.  If I leave the CDP off a few days it takes some time to sound right again. If not doing it now check it out 24/7.
   Obviously you have created a balance using the Berhinger. Who Am I to differ, enjoy the ride.


charles
SMA