Home Theater with tubes?

HiFiThor

Active Member
Who makes a home theater pre-amp/amp/integrated amp that has a "tube" mode of operation? I would like to have the full digital stuff for home theater but on occasion when I want to listen to my records I would like everything basically going through tubes, no digital processing or solid state devices. Analog from the turntable all the way to the speakers (in stereo of course). Links?
 
No all tube home theater gear. You're dealing with IC and microprocessors for at least preamp and processor duty. Power amplifiers can be tube.
Yes, where I was coming from was an amp that has both sophisticated computer level digital processing for home theater with all the bells and whistles and also a separate mode of operation which is a tube only path suitable for vinyl so you could get the best of both worlds. I thought I found it in a McIntosh preamp but it turned out that this was a stereo only preamp that contained digital processing for CDs and other digital sources and also a tube path for pure analog. It would be convenient to have it all in one unit or equipment stack rather than a separate system to support analog only. I only have so much room!
 
It could be a lot cheaper to use a tube integrated and switch speaker wires between amps when needed.
 
Yes, where I was coming from was an amp that has both sophisticated computer level digital processing for home theater with all the bells and whistles and also a separate mode of operation which is a tube only path suitable for vinyl so you could get the best of both worlds. I thought I found it in a McIntosh preamp but it turned out that this was a stereo only preamp that contained digital processing for CDs and other digital sources and also a tube path for pure analog. It would be convenient to have it all in one unit or equipment stack rather than a separate system to support analog only. I only have so much room!

Requires two preamplifiers to do that. Home theater preamp/processors are very IC based. No tubes for one of those anywhere. Tubes are two channel at best. Won't happen otherwise without separates. And a means of being able to switch gear in and out. Sorry!
 
if you build it component style, you can mix and match and do whatever you like.
I have an Integra DTC 9.6 preamp processor (with HDMI and all of that for the input sources) and it feeds 3 discrete power amps.
I happen to be using an old HK Citation 22 bridged to mono for a JBL 4641 subwoofer, a B&K AV5000 series II 5ch amp for center, sides and rear channels; and a
B&K St202plus 2ch amp for the front mains - which could just as easily be a tube based power amp.
Its not pure tubes, of course, but there are no mass market tube-based AV preamp/processors.
 
The easiest/best way to do what you want is to build a tube based two channel system and add surround capability. The two channel system is ideally made of separates to allow for the flexibility needed to add surround/HT sound. I've been doing it ever since Dolby surround was introduced. Check the equipment listed in my signature. I use a hybrid (tube/SS) preamp and tube power amps for my two channel system.
 
It's easy....

You find a great old AVR solid state receiver that has pre-outs and run an interconnect from the AVR's pre-outs to a tube amps input. You can hook up anything you want to the AVR like DVD, CD......a turntable and upgrade the sound with a tube amp. Just don't get something so new they forgot to install pre-outs as many newer AVR's don't have pre-outs.
 
5.1 Music Angel

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Well, ~101dB peaks isn't bad for 12 watts, but waking the dead is debatable. Reference level for HT is 105db peak on the mains and 115dB peak on the sub. Granted, I rarely play at full reference level but that is the spec.
 
Just buy a tube stereo Integrated amplifier (or amp/preamp set) with a Home Theater bypass input and a nice AV receiver with preamp outputs.

When you're listening to home theater, switch to the HT bypass input, and you're rocking...the signal passes through the tube integrated amp (or preamp/amp combo) then on to your main speakers- volume is controlled by the Home Theater product

When listening to stereo, turn off the HT bypass mode, and you've effectively disconnected the dHome Theater processing from the stereo rig...you'll only be able to listen to sources connected to the Stereo Integrated amplifier (or preamp/amp combo) but that's what you're looking for. Perfect compromise
 
Well, ~101dB peaks isn't bad for 12 watts, but waking the dead is debatable. Reference level for HT is 105db peak on the mains and 115dB peak on the sub. Granted, I rarely play at full reference level but that is the spec.


threshold for industrial deafness? :eek:
 
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