For tube sound, which is more important: preamp or power amp?


I have always loved the “tube sound” - warmth, midrange, soundstage. Through the years (since about 1975), I have owned many tube and solid state amps and preamps, in various combinations. Presently, I have a tube amp and a solid state preamp. But like most of you, I am thinking of making changes, again.  Not to cloud the discussion, the specific brands are not important.  I also listen to acoustic music, females vocals, love mini monitors, EL34s, NOS tubes, and don’t care that much about bass.  So you can see that my taste fits the tube sound very well. But I have had systems that are too warm, not enough dynamics or details, and fat in the low end, too.

okay, now to the discussion.  To produce the tube sound, which is more important: the preamp or the power amp?  Let’s talk in general, and (if possible? May not be) not tied to one specific piece/brand/model of equipment.  I know there are exceptions to any general rule.  Not sure if it makes a difference to your comments, but I have no phono and am running line stage only.

As an attempt to prevent the conversation as going in a big tangent, let’s assume equality of price/quality. i.e. not comparing a $10k power amps contribution to a system to that of a $1k preamp.  Let’s also assume that the amp (tube or solid state) can drive the speakers just fine, such that compatibility does not limit the decision. And ignore mono blocks versus stereo amp differences.  

two follow ons: I have  the perception that preamps give you more bang for the buck - meaning that it takes less money to get a great tube preamp compared to a great tube amp.  Agree/disagree? And second, I have never owned a tube dac or CD player, and will assume that tubes in either of these is less critical than in a preamp or power amp. Agree/disagree?

i am interested in your thoughts.

Bill
meiatflask
Are some of us becoming a little too "dogmatic"?  And yes Inna, there really are many roads to Rome, so to speak.  I am often astonished to hear about the combinations of components and wires and other set-up tweaks that yield great results for listeners.  But there you are.  We are human beings not machines.  We all have unique hearing mechanisms and have diverse ways of listening and spaces in which we listen.

Who are any of us to tell others what THEY are hearing?
Inna,
Wolf is correct, if the outcome of a pairing of components sounds good then that pairing is by default good. The sonic/sound quality  "outcome" is what matters . Components are just the conduit to get you there regardless of their make up.
Charles
@inna What drives a designer to design such products? For some, cost is no object in their designs, so it becomes a matter of performance at the cost of trade-offs.
@willemj Good point, there are two prices a designer has to think about, the cost of manufacturing and the retail price of the product.