-=> Quoting John Allen to T Owen <=-
 > 7. Am I nuts for even considering getting into tubes?
 
 > NO! Tubes are wonderful, with their even-order harmonics 
 > charactaristics! They need to be replaced more often, and rebiased,
 > but the sound of tubes is superb, especially if you are listening to
 > (often harsh sounding) 16 bit digital material. Take care, and 
 > keep the tubes! 
 JA> Thanks for the reply. I am considering splitting my current system
 JA> and  making one for music only. It seems the Home Theater requirements
 JA> and at least  my music and tastes don't really work and play well
 JA> together. 
 
I know about that, but that's one of the reasons that I haven't 
gotten into the home theater aspect of audio.
 JA> And in  compareing prices for the gear I want to upgrade
 JA> anyway and what the split  would cost, they come out about even. The
 JA> ONLY drawback I can see is that the  next step UP from the tube gear I
 JA> am considering is a VERY big jump in price. 
 
Indeed it is! I've been looking at tube amps for years, and all the
nice ones run into thousands of dollars. What tube gear are you 
considering? I am fond of the old McIntosh amps, as well as the newer
ones from GT, among others.
 
 JA> I am very fortunate to
 JA> have purchased a really excellent pair of full range  tower speakers
 JA> that are exceptionally accurate and very sensitive. They would  seem
 JA> very well suited to tubed gear. 
 
The speakers make the most difference in the repro chain, for sure,  
and the rest is more subtle; tube amps are a prime example of those
subtle differences!
 
 JA> I believe the warmth and mellow sound
 JA> of  the tubes would go well with them and the music I spend most my
 JA> time listening  to (classical, string quartet, chamber, new age, folk,
 JA> female vocal, 60s  oldies).
The way that tube output stages (in particular) warm up the digital
edge of CDs is very nice indeed, and I applaud your decision to keep
the tube sound alive! Take care, and happy tubing!
... I didn't want to be a barber....I wanted to be a LUMBERJACK!
--- Blue Wave/DOS v2.30
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