Could you post a piece of the original?
Going to reveal this slightly early since I'll be gone for the weekend. Option two is the correct choice.
The tube tape pre is based around a DHT final stage with Lundahl amorphous output transformers (other two stages are high gm tubes, cap coupled with solid state CCS loading in both stages). The solid state version is based around the Pass Pearl 2 DIY phono stage that has EQ modified. ADC is from Ayre.
My personal preference is for the tube pre, it sounds like it has more presence and a sounds a bit more "live" compared to the SS. It also sounds more like what I hear from the HDTracks hi-res transfer.
I much preferred the second file as well. I thought the first was missing something in the HF range.
Just so I understand, by "correct choice" you mean file 2 was tube, file 1 was ss?
I don't know if it matters TBone, regarding the Dynamic Range measurements of the two files; because the second file still has the upper-hand to my sweet ears.
Excellent . All I heard was the tube version being more distorted. I don't hear the euphonic effect of tube. And that has been a theme for me for a while including LP versus CD. I just want clean reproduction.Going to reveal this slightly early since I'll be gone for the weekend. Option two is the correct choice.
there is no vinyl involved, so there is no cartridge loading. Also a point of clarification these are output transformers (think OPTs like on a tube power amp or line stage) and are not input step up transformers.