Solid-state and tube amps work together in this killer customer system
Late last month, we traveled to the View Park neighborhood of Los Angeles to shoot a customer-system video at the home of Jody Armour. With a stunning view of LA and the Transverse Ranges behind him, Jody spoke to us of his musical awakening and hi-fi development. Watch the video , then come back here to learn more about his audio system, because he has a really interesting active setup that uses both tubes and solid-state amps to create a massive audio statement.
Dwarfing the Jubilee
Jody's upstairs "rumpus room" as he calls it, is so large that when Jordan Perez, our multimedia specialist, went over for a reconnaissance, he briefly mistook the 5'8"-tall Jubilees for Khorns. It is the perfect room for these flagship Klipsch giants to breathe into, and because the Jubilee comes with an active crossover, Jody could make some exciting amplification choices.
The USC law professor decided to go with a PrimaLuna EVO 400 Power Amp for the high frequencies, and the 400 W Anthem STR power amp for the bass. Coupled with the Jubilee's 105 dB sensitivity, this means the volume knob on the PrimaLuna EVO 400 Preamp is barely two clicks up from zero for normal listening levels.
With both power amps ticking over, there is spare bandwidth to the horizon. The sound is open, relaxed, and engaging, from the lowest volume levels to the highest you can bear.
Upscale Audio's auteur, Jordan Perez, sets up to shoot B-roll of Jody Armour's system.
Mixing Tubes and Transistors
By choosing PrimaLuna for the preamp and high-frequency power amp, Jody is enjoying the delicacy, imaging, and harmonic richness of tubes through those all-important mid, high, and air frequencies. Bass, with its hunger for amperes, is well served by the Anthem, which can unleash a lot of current very quickly.
But aren't tubes "warm-sounding" and won't that clash with solid-state's neutrality? While some tubes and tube amps are "warm" in the sense of being rolled off in the highs, PrimaLuna's wide-bandwidth tube amps only seem warm because they preserve harmonic richness. This is warmth that doesn't come from roll-off, but from the fact that violins, voices, and even tom-toms are warm.
Another myth, coupled with the notion that tubes are warm, is that tubes are slow and can't keep up with transistors. Actually, because of the "vacuum" part of their design, tubes are blindingly fast. George Counnas, the circuit designer of Zesto Audio, says that the challenge with tube designs is slowing them down so the other parts of the circuit can keep up. The differences in bass handling between tubes and solid-state amps come down to current and output impedance, not speed.
This means that Jody can revel in tube magic without losing the ferocious speed and slam that Klipsch has been renowned for since 1946. From bass to the very tippy top, the active, bi-amped Jubilees launch a coherent, detailed wave that is totally natural, meaning it can turn from soft and gentle to violent and brutal, always following what the musician intended. And it's a lot of bass. As Jody says, "The Jubilees go down to 20 Hz. They don't mess around. They get down there. They dig."
Jody describes how he brings his law students over for listening sessions, and loves to see how deeply they connect with the meaning behind songs they've heard many times before. He gives the example of Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On', a soft-sounding soul crooning if listened to casually. But on a great system, the lyrics, the pain, the protest hit hard, and it's like a totally different song for the deeply moved young listeners.
The best part? You don't need a giant room or a budget to achieve this in your home. You just need a little advice from an experienced hi-fi enthusiast to bring home a system that sings truths. Call us!
You can see why Jody's neighborhood is called View Park. Here, his view of downtown LA from the terrace.
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