Top-Notch? I know at least the main 12AX7 pre, but what about the others, driver, voltage amp, PI?
I want clean, robust, & detailed. Don't we all??
Many thanks in advance, kenny 🕉
For My McIntosh MC30....
Moderators: pompeiisneaks, Colossal
For My McIntosh MC30....
Greetings,,, of the four 9 pin preamp tubes in this amp, which would be the most important to be
Top-Notch? I know at least the main 12AX7 pre, but what about the others, driver, voltage amp, PI?
I want clean, robust, & detailed. Don't we all??
Many thanks in advance, kenny 🕉
Top-Notch? I know at least the main 12AX7 pre, but what about the others, driver, voltage amp, PI?
I want clean, robust, & detailed. Don't we all??
Many thanks in advance, kenny 🕉
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pompeiisneaks
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Re: For My McIntosh MC30....
My general understanding is the most important tube is that first preamp tube. It's got the weakest signal to amplify and therefore being high quality means the signal is well amplified and then all subsequent stages get a high quality signal to amplify further. Balanced phase inverters tend to be more important in HiFi, unless the amp has a PI balance pot of some kind? Also of course balanced output tubes is probably more important in HiFi than in guitar amps as well.
~Phil
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Stevem
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Re: For My McIntosh MC30....
If your driving this with a tube preamp then the most important tube in terms of tone is that first tube in that preamp.
The tonal nature of that tube gets carried on all the way out to the speaker.
In terms of the power amp assuming that the first tube in that has enough gain to drive the output stage into clipping then as was posted above, the balance of the PI tube and how well matched the output tubes are is part of the puzzle also.
This is where I to me ( in HI Fi) where Groovetubes output tubes really shine since they also match at 3 different frequencies in there process, not just current match.
Some people say it’s BS, but it takes a top notch power amp like yours to hear the improvement since in HI FI you can have full 20 hz to 20khz passing out of the amp to your ears, unlike a Guitar amp who’s speaker can’t even reproduce anything above 10k.
The tonal nature of that tube gets carried on all the way out to the speaker.
In terms of the power amp assuming that the first tube in that has enough gain to drive the output stage into clipping then as was posted above, the balance of the PI tube and how well matched the output tubes are is part of the puzzle also.
This is where I to me ( in HI Fi) where Groovetubes output tubes really shine since they also match at 3 different frequencies in there process, not just current match.
Some people say it’s BS, but it takes a top notch power amp like yours to hear the improvement since in HI FI you can have full 20 hz to 20khz passing out of the amp to your ears, unlike a Guitar amp who’s speaker can’t even reproduce anything above 10k.
When I die, I want to go like my Grandfather did, peacefully in his sleep.
Not screaming like the passengers in his car!
Cutting out a man's tongue does not mean he’s a liar, but it does show that you fear the truth he might speak about you!
Not screaming like the passengers in his car!
Cutting out a man's tongue does not mean he’s a liar, but it does show that you fear the truth he might speak about you!
Re: For My McIntosh MC30....
If you are an old guy like me, I can hear below 20Hz. Just a few years ago, I could hear 11kHz. There are on line tone generators that will let you check this. Today, there was nothing above 9198Hz. This is a natural consequence of aging. The audiologist only checks up to about 8K or 8.5K as that is the upper limit of normal human speech. While it would be really nice to have a McIntosh to play my tunes through, it is clear that the experience will not be nearly what it would have been. It's a simple point. There's no need to over do it, but, yes, get a good tube for V1.