Tubes make everything sound better?

After many years, I'm back into high-end audio. I am putting together a smaller, more intimate system for quiet, but emotionally involving listening. I've heard a lot, but found magic combining a PrimaLuna ProLogue Premium integrated amp and Quad 22L2 speakers (foam bungs in the ports to tame the bass).

Here is the question - Do tubes make everything sound better? Is the magic due in equal parts to the tubes and the speakers or will EL34 output tubes make any small floorstanding speaker sound this good?

January 14, 2012 - 1:06pm

DrGregC

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Last seen: 11 months 2 weeks ago

Joined: Jun 17 2011 - 7:52pm

I would have thought that

I would have thought that there was a PrimaLuna, if not EL34, fan out there that would weigh in on this topic.

Maybe another way to ask this question - are there other small floorstanding speakers that mate well with PrimaLuna integrated amps?

Any insight is appreciated. Thanks.

January 14, 2012 - 4:16pm

geoffkait

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Joined: Apr 29 2008 - 5:10am

Tube amps

I am not familiar w/ PrimaLuna amps, but speaking generally I suspect a partial answer to your question at least is that the speakers' sensitivity should be sufficiently high for the power rating of your amps. I suspect there are a great many speakers out there that would satisfy your requirements. Myself, I like speakers that are noted for neutrality and detail and soundstaging, characteristics that tube amps usually excel at.

Geoff Kait

Machina Dynamica

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