You, and other WTB members are welcome to come hear them any time. I'm located in the SF Bay area. Many Sound Lab owners previously owned Martin Logans. I have never heard of a SL owner switching to CLX's or any ML. No subs needed.
Anyone successfully move from a high end tube preamp to SS, and not miss a thing?!?
- Thread starter caesar
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You, and other WTB members are welcome to come hear them any time. I'm located in the SF Bay area. Many Sound Lab owners previously owned Martin Logans. I have never heard of a SL owner switching to CLX's or any ML. No subs needed.
Would love to hear them someday...interesting observation about SL owners switching from ML vs the other way around. I suppose the sheer sound/power of the SL is the key attraction for the switch for those who have owned/experienced the 'stat magic of MLs?
Well, we can not ignore statistics - there are many more people owning Martin Logan than SoundLab's, this is normal.
As far as I know people give up on Sound Labs for two reasons - size, and then they move to small mini monitor speakers, or after experiencing some fault or breakdown. Fortunately this last item is not anymore an issue anymore since the switch to the improved Mylar and stator structure, some years ago. One of my audio dreams is that the Sonus Faber Futura Amati sounds as good as the A1 PX. It looks so much prettier ...
Well, we can not ignore statistics - there are many more people owning Martin Logan than SoundLab's, this is normal.
One of my audio dreams is that the Sonus Faber Futura Amati sounds as good as the A1 PX. It looks so much prettier ...
Actually, another dream is that the ML Neolith plus dual subs matches the scale/slam of an XLF...that could be a lot of fun!
Well, we can not ignore statistics - there are many more people owning Martin Logan than SoundLab's, this is normal.
Martin Logan speakers are available in almost every Best Buy, as well as from many other dealers. There are 8 Sound Lab dealers in the entire U.S. Most audiophiles have never heard them.
Hello all. This is my second post on this very interesting site. I am in the process of changing from a tube preamp ( Shindo ) usually used with a tube amp ( Quicksilver ). I recently bought some Sonus Faber Venere 3 speakers. I found the sound a bit thin with my current system and auditioned then bought a Jeff Rowland M525 amp. I demo'd it with a Jeff Rowland Capri S2 preamp. The sound was glorious. I had worried that going away from the tube pre would compromise the sound quality but I was completely wrong. I'm awaiting the Jeff Rowland pre.
Yes, I moved from a Cary SLP-05, which sounded absolutely sensational, to a Pass Labs XP-30. The XP-30 retained all the smoothness, warmth and holographic imaging of the SLP-05, while increasing resolution, reducing noise and providing a more neutral treble response.
Currently seriously considering moving from my venerable 2006 Hovland HP200 w/Jan Phillips tubes to a Townshend Audio Allegri autoformer passive pre. Losing a hint of lushness, and gaining a deal more detail retrieval, and a quantum leap in transparency.
Going to a passive pre will probably be a disappointment. At least hang on to the Hoveland for now.
Tom, passive pre's really are an area of divergent views. Not planning to ditch the Hovland, aiming to use it in a second system, so can always revert back to it if I lose my nerve.
I'm running a slightly unconventional system re v.sensitive (101dB/m) full range driver/x-overless Zu spkrs fed by Audion 35W/ch SETs, and the Allegri is a winner in most respects (detail retrieval/transparency/low noise - being off the grid), w/the only shortcoming so far being a certain recessiveness in the bass (even this improving as the hours from cold go on).
I'm certainly aware of a decrease in lushness wrt my Hovland, but I do feel a barrier or two has been removed in the listening experience.
Will maintain a skeptical ear until the time I might be finally bowled over, or conclude "nice, but I still miss tubes...".
I'm running a slightly unconventional system re v.sensitive (101dB/m) full range driver/x-overless Zu spkrs fed by Audion 35W/ch SETs, and the Allegri is a winner in most respects (detail retrieval/transparency/low noise - being off the grid), w/the only shortcoming so far being a certain recessiveness in the bass (even this improving as the hours from cold go on).
I'm certainly aware of a decrease in lushness wrt my Hovland, but I do feel a barrier or two has been removed in the listening experience.
Will maintain a skeptical ear until the time I might be finally bowled over, or conclude "nice, but I still miss tubes...".
Bruce B
WBF Founding Member, Pro Audio Production Member
Swapped out the ARC REF 5SE for a Spectral 30SS Series II and did not miss a thing. However, this was part of a preamp / poweramp replacement, so cannot isolate the impact of just the preamp move.
I have only heard a few SS preamps that have as good a presentation as some really good tube preamps and those SS preamps were modded and in fact all my preamps are not stock. I have a tube preap,a nuvistor preamp and 2 SS preamps. The pecking order is.....
Nuvistor teflon
Tube film
SS telfon
SS blackgate
all sound good though,but the nuvistor and tube is what I prefer.
Nuvistor teflon
Tube film
SS telfon
SS blackgate
all sound good though,but the nuvistor and tube is what I prefer.
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