Will a Bellari Tube preamp improve my setup?

[GuitarWatson]

My setup consists of:

Pioneer PL-71 Turntable
Pioneer SX-3700 Receiver
Large Advent Loudspeakers

The receiver has inputs on it for phono but I have heard that using a tube preamp can sound fantastic and have a local opportunity to get a Bellari VP130 for $180 bucks. I think my system sounds great now (Large advents are sweet) but is this something worth springing for? I am new to vinyl so I have yet to hear a tube preamp.

Thanks

[sreten]

Hi.

I'd simply replace all signal electrolytics in your amplifier first.

rgds, sreten.

Tube power amplifiers and pure class A transistor preamps are
the way. Valve preamps don't fix transistor power amplifiers IMO.

[andyr]

I'll give you a diametrically opposite view to sreten's! IMO, most speakers like to be "gripped" by ss amps ... but a tube pre can impart the right amount of "tubeyness" to your sound.

However, be aware of slightly confusing terminology ... a preamp has input source selection and a volume control - and it sometimes includes a phono input (which means that RIAA equalisation and amplification of a MM cartridge's signal is dealt with).

But a "phono pre" is simply the bit that does the RIAA equalisation and signal amplification - so you need a line-stage (ie. preamp) as well.

In your case, you said your (ss) SX-3700 receiver has a phono input. Without knowing anything specific about the SX-3700, I would suggest its phono stage can only be "ordinary-sounding" ... so the Bellari should deliver a more attractive sound (as well as delivering some nice "tubeyness"! ). However, you may find it delivers more "hiss" than the Pioneer (an inevitable problem with tubes being put into low signal level situations - much more so than with ss phono stages).

Go for it! You'll always be able to sell the Bellari with minimal loss, if you don't like it.

Regards,

Andy

[pivot]

The Bellari is only "kinda-sorta" a tube phono pre.

The uses a triode gain stage as the first amplication stage in a passive RIAA configuration with IC chips giving most of the gain. I'd call it a hybrid rather then tube circuit.

For $180 it might be fun to goof around with seeing as you can flip it for what it cost. You might like it better then your current RIAA circuit in the Pioneer. It can drive low impedance headphones directly as well so you could hear a system other then your current set up which might be instructive.

Just be aware that the Bellari is a budget entry level product with some of the limitations that implies. Be cautious about drawing general conclusions on tube gear, classic or current, based just on it.

[sreten]

I'll give you a diametrically opposite view to sreten's! IMO, most speakers like to be "gripped" by ss amps ... but a tube pre can impart
the right amount of "tubeyness" to your sound.

Andy

Hi, fair enough but its just an opinion. Proper "tubeyness" is the
power amplifier, for lots of reasons, not least avoiding tranny
power amplifier issues, I'm quite agnostic on the subject, I'd
never tell someone not to get a tube PA if they like them.

rgds, sreten.

[Whitneyville]

Is this the red Bellari with a 12AX7 tube on it? If it is, I auditioned one, and was fairly impressed by it. It's surprisingly quiet for the 12AX7 tube, and wasn't "fussy" about cartridge or input loading. The power supply is it's weakness. It could stand a much better power supply, which leads to a bit of compression on very loud complicated passages. That said, it's much better than most "built-in" phono stages. Plug it into a DAT, VCR, DVD/CD or other "line level" input on your reciever, and it's probably best to leave the pre-amp on all the time, as it's "warm-up" time is pretty long. I exchanged it for the $43 Audio-Technica SS pre-amp for my "B" TT, as the A-T is sufficent for the job (an old Dual 1226 TT with a Pickering 400 E cart). I think at $180, the Bellari is a decent value, I found I didn't need that level of a pre-amp.

[midnightmayhem]

Yes a tube pre will probably give you a warmer more natural and musical sound. It is also noteworthy that large advents sound really good on a push pull 6v6gt amp. Any piece of tube gear that cheap is worth a try!

[Ianibby]

I have one for sale 125 plus shipping its yours