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Thread: Solid state preamp grain compared to valves

  1. #31
    Join Date: Dec 2008

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    Quote Originally Posted by hifinutt View Post
    for any newbies , a definition of what grain is would be good
    Well for me, grain is a slight coarseness in the upper mid/treble that sounds like fine sand paper being rubbed together instead of sounding liquid like pure water.

  2. #32
    Join Date: Feb 2013

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    For me it's second class whisky
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  3. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by struth View Post
    For me it's second class whisky
    LOL... so true, so true

  4. #34
    Join Date: Feb 2013

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    Lol so the answer is A Bit Rough Around The Edges
    Regards,
    Grant .... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work
    .... ..... ...... ...... ................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
    FIIO K7 BT, M11 PLUS, BTR7, KA5 - OPPO BDP-103D - PANASONIC UB450 - PANASONIC 4K ULTRA HD TV - PIXEL 6 - AVANTREE LR BLUETOOTH - 2* X600 SOUNDCORE - HEADPHONES INCLUDE, FIIO, NURAPHONES', FOCAL, OPPO, BOSE, CAMBRIDGE, BOWER & WILKINS, DEVIALET, MARSHALL, SONY, MITCHELL & JOHNSTON - 2*ZBOOK'S- MERCURY BD ROM, ROON, QOBUZ, TIDAL, PLEX, CYBERLINK, JRIVER - MULTI HDD'S -

    Oh my god! There's nothing wrong with the bidet is there?

    “Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy".

    “You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police ... yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home -- all the more powerful because forbidden -- terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.”

    "You don't have free will. You have the appearance of free will.”

    “There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!”


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  5. #35
    Join Date: Jun 2015

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    Quote Originally Posted by Haselsh1 View Post
    Well for me, grain is a slight coarseness in the upper mid/treble that sounds like fine sand paper being rubbed together instead of sounding liquid like pure water.
    Thanks everyone for their comments, yes this is how I would describe it, but it's more subtle than the description makes it sound. I've had some cheap valve pres that sound good to my ears so I wouldn't base it purely on price or "quality". I'm now using my Django TVC which sounds just right to me.

    I have another question. Has anyone encountered an issue where having good full range speakers that work well in the room seem to be bass light when you've been used to ones that have overpowered the room a bit? They hit all the right notes but not as strongly as you're used to in the bottom registers.

    Sent from my BLN-L21 using Tapatalk
    Last edited by Lawrence001; 21-07-2018 at 18:04.

  6. #36
    Join Date: Sep 2009

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    Quote Originally Posted by Haselsh1 View Post
    Well for me, grain is a slight coarseness in the upper mid/treble that sounds like fine sand paper being rubbed together instead of sounding liquid like pure water.
    brilliant , thats great
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    Learn from everyone, that's what life is for
    And don't you let nobody drag your spirit down

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  7. #37
    Join Date: May 2018

    Location: London

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    I'm Tommy.

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    Most older people above 40 have this grain already. Because of hearing damage in that very place.
    Some preamps is softer in the that very spot. But not necessary better.
    A transparent pre-amp could sound grainy to some. And harsh to other.

    To make a really good transparent ss pre-amp is very expensive. I have one. The price is near 10k $. This is direct from the designer him self. The pre-amp is a dual mono fully balanced no feedback class A design with separate psu.

    Tommy
    Last edited by 2fastgt4; 21-07-2018 at 23:40.

  8. #38
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

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    Awesome looking pre, Tommy. Must sound great!

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  9. #39
    Join Date: May 2018

    Location: London

    Posts: 17
    I'm Tommy.

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    Thanks Marco. It sounds really great to with my Focal Alto Utopia. No grain there.
    Quote Originally Posted by Marco View Post
    Awesome looking pre, Tommy. Must sound great!

    Marco.
    Tommy

  10. #40
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

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    Wow - nice speakers, too!

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


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