Tube or SS phono stage? Vote for your prefernce.

Tube or SS phono stage, what's your prefernce?


  • Total voters
    91

Peter Breuninger

[Industry Expert] Member Sponsor
Jul 20, 2010
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I've been at this a while and I do have a preference, what's yours?
 

Peter Breuninger

[Industry Expert] Member Sponsor
Jul 20, 2010
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I like to feed the MBLs as much detail as I can and I desire a quiet noise floor with no shoooshing tubes. I expect to be in the minority on this vote. I have tubes in the path though... the AN M10 Signature feeding the AudioNet Max monos (some say these are Soulution slayers, but not I- have not had Soulution in the studio).
 

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
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Definitively tube - I own the ARC Reference 2 and it was a very large difference to my SS Adyton phono, costing one fifth of the tubed unit. :eek:
 

PeterA

Well-Known Member
Dec 6, 2011
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I actually agree with Peter on this one, and for the reasons he gives. Though I don't have much experience with tubes in my own system, I've heard a few in other systems. I'm not sure I can isolate what the tube phonos were doing in those systems, but in concept, I think it is vital to have low noise and detail at the start of the chain. I presume that means SS rather than tubes, but am open to learning otherwise. Noise just gets amplified and obscures detail and if you don't maintain the detail that comes off the cartridge/LP from the beginning you will never retrieve it later. I'd add low distortion and RIAA curve accuracy as also being very important.

I prefer to tailor the sound with the cartridge and think other components - speakers, electronics, table and arm, and cables - should be as neutral tonally and resolving as possible.
 

mep

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Depends on the output of your cartridge. If you are running a low output MC cartridge and you don't like the sound of SUTs, you need a SS phono section. I do think tubes sound better, but it becomes a question of putting up with their noise as the output of the cartridge drops below .3mv.
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
81
1,725
New York City
Depends on the output of your cartridge. If you are running a low output MC cartridge and you don't like the sound of SUTs, you need a SS phono section. I do think tubes sound better, but it becomes a question of putting up with their noise as the output of the cartridge drops below .3mv.

Exactly. If I had a Clearaudio or another MC/MI with an output over 0.5 mV, I might, all things being equal, go the tube route. Using tubes is a pipe dream with something like an Ikeda. I'm also not a huge fan of step ups; even the best of them, impart a sound. Both commission and omission. Can deal with a unit that does one or the other but not both.
 

Bruce B

WBF Founding Member, Pro Audio Production Member
Apr 25, 2010
7,006
512
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Snohomish, WA
www.pugetsoundstudios.com
I don't like the "sshhhhhh" of tube either, but was amazed at how quiet the Doshi equipment was. I've got the best of both worlds, the blackness of SS and the sweetness of tube.
As a bonus, it has enough gain to run a Benz Micro Ebony TR without the need if a SUT!
 

XV-1

Well-Known Member
May 24, 2010
3,591
2,573
1,860
Sydney
Why is there no choice for both?

There is no one type that must be best.

My Lyra Atlas loves my TW tube phono which allows the tubes natural life and extension in the upper frequencies to flourish.
Dyna xv-1s and Ortofon A-90 likes both the TW and Pass xp-25, depends on mood, music etc.
Denon DL-S1 and esc'd 103r like the Pass xp-25 on the higher gain setting.
 
Last edited:

puroagave

Member Sponsor
Sep 29, 2011
1,345
45
970
I like both implementations my current reference is the Klyne system 7, neither sounds like SS or tubes just music and it handles .2mv with ease. I like SUTs and disagree with some of the generalizations dismissing them, xfrmrs done right can be utterly transparent.
 

jazdoc

Member Sponsor
Aug 7, 2010
3,320
730
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Bellevue
I like both implementations my current reference is the Klyne system 7, neither sounds like SS or tubes just music and it handles .2mv with ease. I like SUTs and disagree with some of the generalizations dismissing them, xfrmrs done right can be utterly transparent.

The Klyne is a killer phono stage!
 

DonH50

Member Sponsor & WBF Technical Expert
Jun 22, 2010
3,947
306
1,670
Monument, CO
I voted "tube" mainly for the headroom a tube input stage provides, but like others I think it also depends heavily on the cartridge. Miller capacitance tends to be high with tube inputs, a feature or a curse depending upon your point of view, and that input tube needs to be low-noise and properly biased. I have heard both tube and SS phono stages that are outstanding.
 

jfrech

VIP/Donor
Sep 3, 2012
2,152
749
1,160
Austin
I voted tube also. However I haven't heard a ss phono stage in forever and certainly nothing up quality Peter has in his Pass XP25...

It's funny I've always been a pure tube guy...but a few years ago went to SS amp (Ayre MX Rs from BAT VK150SE's) and a few months ago to a SS pre (Robert Koda from a Nagra PLL)...I don't seem miss tubes at all on this pre and amp choice...and feel my system sounds more "tubey" (musical and emotionally engaging) than some other all tube systems i've heard...
 

JackX

New Member
Nov 22, 2010
18
2
3
Oslo, Norway
Tube.

I've got the Ypsilon VPS 100 (and the step up as well), so I guess it goes without saying what my pick was.

Cheers!
 

mep

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
9,481
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With the cj GAT, the Doshi has no issue with the 0.16 mV Ikeda.

Shouldn't be a big surprise as Nick uses FETs as the first stage of gain in his phono section.
 

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
20,806
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Portugal
I don't like the "sshhhhhh" of tube either, but was amazed at how quiet the Doshi equipment was. I've got the best of both worlds, the blackness of SS and the sweetness of tube.
As a bonus, it has enough gain to run a Benz Micro Ebony TR without the need if a SUT!

Bruce,

The Doshi Audio RIAA phono has a FET input for high gain MC - exactly as the Audio Research Reference Phono 2. This way we can have the best of both - tubes and no tube noise!

BTW, I was listening a few minutes ago to a just arrived new direct cut LP and my digital seems disturbed ...
 

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