Solid state preamp grain compared to valves

[Marco]

Cobblers. Any active pre-amp will have higher distortion than a passive therefore by definition it cannot offer higher fidelity than a passive.

What you might prefer is a different story.

Well, we'll have to agree to disagree, as you'd soon find out if you borrowed my Croft, for a week, and put it in your system

I don't give a flying fuck about measured "higher distortion". That's a rather shortsighted objectivist's outlook. There's MUCH more about getting a system to play music than fretting over distortion, as you well know whenever you hear what a good turntable can do!

Marco.

[Macca]

Well, we'll have to agree to disagree, as you'd soon find out if you borrowed my Croft, for a week, and put it in your system

I don't give a flying fuck about measured "higher distortion". That's a rather shortsighted objectivist's outlook. There's MUCH more about getting a system to play music than fretting over distortion, as you well know whenever you hear what a good turntable can do!

Marco.

You brought fidelity into the discussion: 'Passives are a good solution, up to a point, particularly in complimentary budget systems, if finds are tight, but for ultimate high-fidelity sound, no.'

Whereas for maximum fidelity a passive cannot be bettered. Like I said, whether you prefer the sound of less fidelity is up to you. But your comment above is inaccurate unless we are changing the definition of 'high fidelity' to mean 'what I prefer.' Subjective site or not I don't think we should do that.

[Marco]

Whereas for maximum fidelity a passive cannot be bettered.

Who says so? And I don't care about measurements, as they don't always tell the full story.

If a passive preamp is used in the wrong system, it will make music sound rather lifeless [experience bears this out], ergo that does not equate to high-fidelity, regardless of what the theory says, of passives being more 'accurate', compared with actives, in isolation, out with of when actually employed in a working hi-fi system, to reproduce MUSIC.

As you know, I also prefer valve power amps to SS varieties, for precisely the same reasons, so does that also mean my choice is based upon "preferring the sound of less fidelity", simply because SS amps measure better in terms of distortion?

You brought distortion into the discussion, not me, which is why I mentioned turntables (and vinyl), which somehow manages to sound remarkably good (often better than digital), despite high levels of distortion!

And if we're discussing distortion, then at the very end of the music reproduction chain, you've got a pair of transducers that distort the signal more than anything else further up the chain could possibly do, which makes the notion of wanking over the lowest distortion figures upstream, ultimately rather comical...!!

Quite simply, in the real (listening) world, theories and measurements are often thrown out of the window.

Therefore, contrary to your assertion, I don't "prefer the sound of less fidelity" [knowing me, as a diehard purist, I'm actually quite shocked you've even came out with that statement], far from it; I prefer the sound I consider to my ears is most lifelike - and in my experience, that's delivered by the best valve-based actives.

Marco.

[Macca]

Who says so? And I don't care about measurements, as they don't always tell the full story.

.

Nothing to discuss then since you can only define fidelity via measurement.

[Marco]

Nothing to discuss then since you can only define fidelity via measurement.

Yes, but only *if* you believe that whatever measurement you're taking is telling you ALL that you NEED to know about what it is you're measuring, and thus ultimately what you *specifically* want to know!

I contend that often in audio that's not the case, which is why very little is a 'done deal', and most of us are still on a steep learning curve.

For me, as soon as a passive preamp has to deal with a 'real-life' music signal, as part of a working hi-fi system, where other factors then come into the equation, unless used in the right system, all notions of it automatically [the key word here] delivering greater fidelity, than a quality active, go out of the window.

Marco.

[anthonyTD]

Bun fight!
Just kidding, I have read this thread with interest, and from my own experience,where preamps are concerned, from owning, and building both solid state and Valve, when everything that matters within the circuit design is taken into account, it is posible to get both topologies to sound remarkebly similar, when compared within the same system.
As for passives,,, on paper, you can argue that because of their simplicity, they are, and should therefore; be the most accurate, but that's only true up until you marry them with whatever source equipment, and power amp your using, that's when the simplicity of their design, becomes their achilies heel, and thus becomes more or less apparent, depending on the system, dont get me wrong, there are many badly designed active preamps out there that suffer in similar ways, and worse, however; in my opinion, and from many years of experience, a good active versus Any passive, will win hands down in most systems!
A...

[Marco]

As for passives,,, on paper, you can argue that because of their simplicity, they are, and should therefore; be the most accurate, but that's only true up until you marry them with whatever source equipment, and power amp your using...

Exactly what I said, and in a nutshell, the reality. If the question was: 'Do passives, *in theory*, offer greater fidelity than actives?' Then I'd say yes of course (only an idiot would disagree), but NOT ALWAYS, in my experience, in practice.

Theories are simply theories; it's what your OWN lugholes tell you in the end that ultimately matters!

Marco.