I currently have a JDS Atom amp with my 58x as my daily driver and would like to get a tube pre-amp to complement its clarity with some warmth. It does not have to be any crazy amount of increase in warmth, but obviously I’m buying a tube for a fairly good tube sound.
If this is possible in a product under $200 or $150, please share anything and everything, positive and negative, about products you’ve owned or tested.
Thanks!
This may help ya. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0lTGip-qQc he gives a great recommendation for a tube preamp. My buddy owns the one with the bluetooth and has it attached to his 789 using it with his 6xx. Sound great
Thanks! Do you think it will be good for the atom amp?
Not sure on the atom honestly. Though I do think that tube preamp is real damn nice to have for quite a few headphones provided the amp has the plugs for it
For the Atom i think it would smooth it out a bit. Maybe give it some airiness and some sound stage. Wont be crazy different but noticeable. Atom is a great amp but can be analytical and bright Probably depending on your headphone too. But look at a liquid spark that could be what you are looking for in that kinda sound
Check out these threads with lots of tube buffer discussion:
I’m not an electrical engineer or anything but a part of me doesn’t like taking a cheap tube amp, cranking the volume 100% and feeding it into a nice solid state like the 789.
Edit: Another YouTuber put it better than I could:
If the output on that tube pre exceeds 2v you should absolutely not be using it with the 789. The 789 is not a power amp, it’s not designed to take a preamp signal. It’s designed to take a line level signal no more than 2v over rca. Often preamps send more than 2v, many are 4v-6v or higher. This could damage the 789.
Yea I saw that, but that’s why I’m asking specifically about the atom
Thanks so much! can you take a look at this suca buffer and tell me if It would work with the GE tubes you mentioned in the first thread you linked?
[https://www.amazon.com/SUCA-AUDIO-Tube-T1-Preamplifier-Amplifier-Control/dp/B07Q656449/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=tube+preamp&qid=1593977330&sr=8-6](http://Suca buffer)
Looks like it. This was in the description:
“TUBES REPLACEABLE - The 3D sound quality of a good tube implementation is simply divine! Tubes detachable design, you can swaps the tube to tweaking the sound, 6j1,6j2,6J4,GE5654,6AK5 and 6*1n tubes are fit for this preamp.”
I decided to go a different route.
I’m not quite ready to tube roll, so I went with a hybrid (Massdrop CTH) which is said to have a great stock tube that gets better with burn in.
Along with that, I purchased an OL switcher from JDS, so that I can switch back and forth between my Atom and the Cavalli without fumbling with the wires. I’m excited. The only thing really left on my wishlist is a warm and wide soundstage pair of headphones to compliment my 58x jubilees.
You can just use a splitter from the DAC for 2 Amps, switches are a nice to have with larger numbers of Amps, but 2 Amps won’t hurt the sound, unless you have a Border Patrol DAC or something.