Tube Amp Break In

[DancingSea]

I googled “eq settings for brightness” and adjusted Roon’s eq accordingly. Took the Sonus Faber’s off their ISO stands  which has brought more grumble. 

 

Also switched to the 8 ohm taps. 

 

Running Roon with HQP upsampling to DSD 64. 

 

The PrimaLuna is sounding much much better. Hopefully will continue to improve. 

[DancingSea]

On 2/13/2018 at 6:25 PM, pas said:

How does it compare to your PS Audio amp?

 

On 2/13/2018 at 6:57 PM, zackthedog said:

 

90dB doesn't mean anything if you've got second- or third-order crossovers in there.  My ProAcs are 89dB but with a single first-order crossover they sing with 8 watts. ;-)  But if they recommend the combo, then they must know.  I'll be interested to hear whether things smooth out for you.

 

110 hours of PrimaLuna Prologue 5 break in complete.  Had an amp shootout last night.

 

One issue is the Prologue 5 clipped at decent volume - and soundstage was shifted decidedly left, ugh.

 

The tube amp looks fantastic, its a very high quality construction, and was a bit sweeter in the vocals, just a tad - but in every other regard, the PS Audio S300 trounced it.

 

Soundstage was properly placed and more expansive, details and imaging superior, bass was no contest - overall presentation was more smooth, lush, liquid and pleasing - sound more full and rich.  This is my first tube amp trial, but based upon the many many tube amp reviews I've read, the S300 sounds more like a tube amp than the tube amp!

 

My impression is that the Prologue 5 is a 15+ year old design who has been passed technologically by the fresh off the press S300.....

 

Perhaps one day I'll explore a tube preamp.  But for now, I'm happy to have confirmation of how good the PS Audio S300 sounds with the Stellar Gain Cell DAC.  Its a great combo.   But tubes continue to fascinate me.  Would be cool just to have something that presents lit up tubes on my rack, wouldn't have to be sound related, just for decoration!

[Ralf11]

ok, I'll say it: Audio Research

 

they make xlnt tube pre-amps - I got my ARC LS-25 Mk II for "just" $2,500 used (all tuned up with new tubes from Upscale Audio) and @Johnseye bought a newer pre-amp for more.  You can search up his comments on here.  I use mine with a SS amp on Maggie 3.7i.

 

AND... it is a serious item with Balanced design and inputs, not just the wimpy SE things on the PrimaLunas (tho the latter do gt rave reviews).

[zackthedog]

6 hours ago, DancingSea said:

 

 

110 hours of PrimaLuna Prologue 5 break in complete.  Had an amp shootout last night.

 

One issue is the Prologue 5 clipped at decent volume - and soundstage was shifted decidedly left, ugh.

 

The tube amp looks fantastic, its a very high quality construction, and was a bit sweeter in the vocals, just a tad - but in every other regard, the PS Audio S300 trounced it.

 

Soundstage was properly placed and more expansive, details and imaging superior, bass was no contest - overall presentation was more smooth, lush, liquid and pleasing - sound more full and rich.  This is my first tube amp trial, but based upon the many many tube amp reviews I've read, the S300 sounds more like a tube amp than the tube amp!

 

My impression is that the Prologue 5 is a 15+ year old design who has been passed technologically by the fresh off the press S300.....

 

Perhaps one day I'll explore a tube preamp.  But for now, I'm happy to have confirmation of how good the PS Audio S300 sounds with the Stellar Gain Cell DAC.  Its a great combo.   But tubes continue to fascinate me.  Would be cool just to have something that presents lit up tubes on my rack, wouldn't have to be sound related, just for decoration!

 

I imagine the design is a lot older than that...probably a modified Williamson, similar to a late-model Heathkit, judging by the tube compliment.  Scot and Macintosh were a lot more innovative. ;-)  Not that there's anything wrong with the design per se.  I think it's working waaaaay to hard to drive those speakers.  I'm glad the s300 pleases you and I think you should stick with it.  And a tubed preamp might be the ticket for a good taste of tube sound.  But you'd need to spend a lot more on a beefy tube amp to drive those speakers.  An Acoustic Research (as Ralf11 mentions) or a Conrad-Johnson amp would probably fare much better.