|
Amp/Preamp Asylum Looking for a new Amp or Preamp? If you're after tubes, post over here. |
|
|
|
Amp/Preamp Asylum Looking for a new Amp or Preamp? If you're after tubes, post over here. |
|
In Reply to: RE: Autoformers and transformers have their own sound colorations posted by Tre' on June 20, 2025 at 19:05:00:
You are throwing away both voltage and current in a resistive passive. You are making a relatively high output impedance as well. These all work against proper drive of the amplifier.
My experience has been that the most dynamic preamps are active (and I have had a couple different shunt passives as well as silver wired TVCs, which do better but not as good as an active) and with large and/or highly regulated power supplies with low output impedance. They then can deliver a wallop to the amp, which despite having high(ish) input impedances still want to see the big swings that an active preamp can provide.
Of course the explanation is incomplete as it follows the observation that is then seeking an explanation. Based on all the preamps I have tried over the last 25 years (a lot) my observation regarding dynamics is what I wrote above.
The three most powerful sounding preamps I have owned are the Silvaweld SWC1000, which had a fully tube regulated power supply (with 300B as the pass tube). This had silver contact and wired resistive volume controls but also transformer coupled outputs (not TVC though), the NAT Plasma, which was true dual mono with massive power supply and also fully tube rectified and regulated. This time just a blue potty VC and cap coupled output that used 6 x 7DJ8s in parallel per channel and finally the Aries Cerat Incito, which has massive unregulated (triple PI filter), tube rectified and transformer coupled output. It has a resistor network VC.
The best I have heard is the Aries Cerat top models, which have TVC but also a lot of other tech that is uncommon and perhaps beyond scope here.
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
Follow Ups
- RE: Autoformers and transformers have their own sound colorations - morricab 06/23/2501:53:19 06/23/25 (1)
- A vacuum tube doesn't need any - Tre' 08:51:05 06/24/25 (0)
Top of Page ]
[ Contact Us ]
[ Support/Wish List ]
[ Copyright © 2025, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
