Tube Pre/ Class D Amp - Who has done it?


Open forum for those who have actually tried this.  Really curious to know who has been happy, or maybe unhappy, with a tube preamp driving a Class D amplifier?

Of course, tube pre with a solid state amp is a classic pairing for hard to drive speakers, especially ESL's.   This is a little different.   I'm really curious to know what pres and Class D amps have had great synergy.

erik_squires

I run an Allnic L-7000 pre with Atma Class D’s and don’t miss the heat, but @marco1 has me curious to see if I need to test the Atma tubed power amps to see if I missed something.

I use an Audio Research ls28se Pre, in the past I used PSA m700 monos then switched to M1200. The M1200 really thump out the bass and that is what I was looking for as my speakers hold 4 12" woofers each. I have them and my subs running tru a modified mini DSP. Bass is very tight and controlled. 

I’ve tried Primaluna, Zesto, PS Audio BHK Pre (Hybrid Tube) with SS amps, class D included.  If you get the gain matched correctly, works really well, blending some of the tube magic with some of the attributes of SS / Class D.  Exciting to watch Class D technology, design continue to evolve.  Most of the designs in Audio currently are mature, tweaks that can be made but not the leaps happening with Class D.  Class D designers are working overtime to dispel the old stereotypes associated.
 

I'm running an ARC LS25 Mk2 pre with a DS225 amp.  It's not reboxed modules, it's ARC's class D design and sounds very tubelike.  I leave the amp on 24/7 and it only draws about 10-15w while idling.

I have been looking at doing a similar combination with Orchard and a Rumba Extreme.