My first tube experience

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timm

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Hi all -- had to share this...

Went into an Overture Audio here in Michigan today and wanted to listen to 'sumthin'' - not sure what... So I asked - What about tubes - I've never heard tubes before and there is all this talk out there etc...

Well - the guy pulls out a prima luna prologue one - hooks it up - and I say - 'Oh, is that a rega saturn -- heard a lot about that too - can you put that in there?' So he does... Hooks them up to some speakers called VPI or ARI or VRI or something like that ... they were floor standers that came up a bit about thigh high or so....Well........ I almost swallowed my tongue.....

First thing I noticed was voices... very nice and real and full bodied and 3D - then the imaging... oh my....can you say dead center? Did I mention depth of the soundstage? Wow -- I was blown away... The bass - was fantastic and extended very low...there were no room treatments atall.

So - what do you think? Was it the prima luna / the saturn / or those speakers? Needless to say - I was fairly impressed - went home and listened to my sunfire / denon 5900 / odyssey combo and what I felt was missing the most was depth of soundstage and there seemed to be a flatness to the sound ... and maybe I'm not admitting to other stuff...

This was with a prologue one......Anybody have experience with this amp or other prima luna amps or the pre... I know there are other tube folks out there - so... if you have a .... 'well if you think that was good...you should hear the....'

Maybe that trip was a bad idea....:) Was this the tube 'magic'??
 
Was this the tube 'magic'??


As Steve says........."Got Tubes" ?

yes Tim I suspect the synergy of the amp with the speakers provided you with that magic moment !

kinda like that first kiss....you only want more !!
 
I think I am developing a problem.....
 
It's called the Ultimate Truth in audio reproduction. Forget all that solid-state nonsense. :p:haha1:
Keeping it light everybody, keeping it light....:D

It's called finding a flavor you enjoy...

The prima luna stuff is well built. Still have my ProLogue 1 from about five years ago and it works without a hitch. Just retubed it this summer.

Just don't try driving your ML's with one, not enough juice.
 
I think I am developing a problem.....

Welcome to the world of glass and heat. Tubes are arguably the best way to recreate reproduced sound IMO though I own both tube and SS devices, For the best holistic experience of the music I like tubes best. YMMV
 
Just don't try driving your ML's with one, not enough juice.

say it ain't so Jeff..... so nobody here thinks the rega saturn had much to do with it? What about their monoblocs - enough juice there?
 
say it ain't so Jeff..... so nobody here thinks the rega saturn had much to do with it? What about their monoblocs - enough juice there?

I have a pair of PrimaLuna ProLogue 7s (their top end, 70W monobloc) and I borrowed a pair of Vantages for a week a month or so back. To my ear, the sound was amazing. The imaging was unbelievable. I was so impressed with what I heard that (after trying a few other speakers just to be sure) I ordered a pair of Spires. I'll be driving them via my SP-9 preamp and ProLogue 7s, and I have very high sound quality expectations! :music:

As for the Rega Saturn; I've heard good things about it, but frankly I'm a vinyl nut. The magic I got from my system when the Vantages were here was from vinyl; I didn't waste my precious Vantage time spinning silver discs!
 
say it ain't so Jeff..... so nobody here thinks the rega saturn had much to do with it? What about their monoblocs - enough juice there?

As Rich said, you can do wonderfull things with their monoblocks and even if they don't provide enough for your given situation(spl with respect to room size, etc) then their are PLENTY of other valve options ! My M-150's driving my Vantages in my 14'-6" x 23' room never run out of gas.

With respect to the Rega, while a fine player and I'm sure in had it's 'subtle' interjection to the fray, I'm also sure that the "goosebumps" were given to you by the amp / speaker combo like I said before.
 
I repeat: valve addiction. Once bitten, forever smitten.

You thought the Luna was good and you have a problem? Do not listento some high power single-ended 211/845 based designs, then.:) Stay well clear.:) Actually it's difficult - there aren't many of them - so you should be safe!
 
timm,
I suspect it was either the Rega or the speaks, of course...:ROFL:

Maybe you should go back and insert a SS amp in the same setup and see how it sounds.
 
I love it!! Maybe I can get someone else kicked out of the forum!!! :)

Anyway - when you guys say they might run out of gas - do you mean volume levels? I don't listen 'real loud' -- but we know how that is... and Rich - as a reminder I do have Odysseys - so I am suspecting they would be more of a drain.... thanks for the feedback though... but it sounds like the monoblocs could work?? Amazing is what I heard also - and I am sure it does get better... This was a casual stop by at this place and my wife was there - in another room watching tv - of course - giving me 'the eye' wondering when we would be leaving....we just got out of a shoe store and the times were not compareable :)
 
I love it!! Maybe I can get someone else kicked out of the forum!!! :)
Alright!!! A hired gun for the forum!!!

Anyway - when you guys say they might run out of gas - do you mean volume levels? I don't listen 'real loud' -- but we know how that is... and Rich - as a reminder I do have Odysseys - so I am suspecting they would be more of a drain.... thanks for the feedback though... but it sounds like the monoblocs could work?? Amazing is what I heard also - and I am sure it does get better... This was a casual stop by at this place and my wife was there - in another room watching tv - of course - giving me 'the eye' wondering when we would be leaving....we just got out of a shoe store and the times were not compareable :)
"Real Loud" means 75dB for some, 120dB for others :D

Good to see you are listening for yourself and making a decision not basing on others subjective opinions. Both SS and Tube can give you great reproduction of recorded music - it just depends on the product at hand and the synergy in your setup and room.

Man, you were in a shoe store before hand? You could have bought a pair of shoes and placed them on your current amps. If you click them together three times before each song, especially if they are Ruby, you will get that magic for each song.
 
Alright!!!

Good to see you are listening for yourself and making a decision not basing on others subjective opinions. .

Couple of reasons for that... 1) I'm really picky. 2) I figure I'm always right (somebody's gotta think that about me , right?). 3)and the big one.... I can't afford to buy gear and continue to sell it on audiogon or give it to my son because I find something better!!!
 
Anyway - when you guys say they might run out of gas - do you mean volume levels? I don't listen 'real loud' -- but we know how that is... and Rich - as a reminder I do have Odysseys - so I am suspecting they would be more of a drain.... thanks for the feedback though... but it sounds like the monoblocs could work??

Good point about the Odysseys; I'm sure the Vantage's built in amp helped when I had them here. I guess there's only one way find out... :devil:
 
OK - so I have to ask this question....

A used Cary SLP -05 goes for 4K plus... Or 2 new PrimaLuna Prologue 7s Plus the Prologue 3 Preamp - goes for 4 grand....

I currently own Sunfire amp & Pre....

Any opinions on that?
 
OK - so I have to ask this question....

A used Cary SLP -05 goes for 4K plus... Or 2 new PrimaLuna Prologue 7s Plus the Prologue 3 Preamp - goes for 4 grand....

I currently own Sunfire amp & Pre....

Any opinions on that?

not much here but I own a SLP-05 and am VERY happy with it. I use the Mullard 5AR4 refifier tube and the Pope Holland 6SN7's and couldn't be happier.

Good Luck....
 
OK - so I have to ask this question....

A used Cary SLP -05 goes for 4K plus... Or 2 new PrimaLuna Prologue 7s Plus the Prologue 3 Preamp - goes for 4 grand....

I've no experience with the Cary so I can't comment, but if I can afford it, I prefer new stuff. If nothing else, a good warranty is a nice addition to the cachet of owning something brand new. As I said before, I'm really happy with my ProLogue 7s and happily recommend them.
 
It's easy to get carried away with the magic of valves - just make sure you're hearing the shortcommings of the valve designs too - every amp has them.

I see too many people run to valves in an instant only to discover a few months/years later that they are missing something from the SS designs. Just tread carefully, but yes, valves are magic!
 
The cool thing about the Prima Lunas is that they have a 2-ohm tap on the back. Most tube amps only have a 4-ohm tap. This is one of the few inexpensive tube amps that does a pretty good job with ML's...

Also, because of the auto bias, you can run different tubes to suit your musical taste. Want a little more extension in the highs and a little more punch, go with KT-88's. The 6550 is somewhat neutral (or you can get vintage NOS tubes there too), and if you want a little less power, but more magic in the midrange you can install EL34's. Last but not least, you can even run 6L6 tubes in a Prima Luna. A touch less power than the EL34's, but it makes them sound like vintage McIntosh MC30's.

It can be tons of fun and those amps are incredibly versatile. Built like tanks too. I still have my original Prologue One from five years ago and it's never given me a stitch of trouble...
 

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