I'm thinking of getting into tubes, what do you


What do you have to do to run tube amps with a solid state preamp? What do you have to do to run a tube preamp with solid state amps? And finally, will any tube preamp and tube amp combination work safely?
gfloyd53
Don't worry about mixing and matching tube and solid-state.Preamp output impedance should be low,amp input/high {40-100K}.You should be fine.
Agree w/Tpsonic, but generally accepted wisdom is that ss power amp w/tube preamp is better way to go than the opposite. However, many all tube combos will sound best.
The key is the amp/speaker combination. No advice on amps is useful, unless it considers what speaker will be used.

Spencer
Thank you Tpsonic and Spencer. At one time I had Krell monoblocks and I was told that if I was going to use a tube preamp, I should send the amps in to get the transformer taps changed (?). Anyway, I've listed a want ad for a pair of VAC PA 160 mk IIs. I like the reputation, style and high power of these units because I have B&W 801 Matrix series 3 loudspeakers. Even though they are large, I'm using them in a small to medium space in a nearfield (about a 7 foot triangle) listening setup. And, I really like the style of the Audio Research SP 9, or SP 14 (I have a ReVox tape deck and a Studer reel to reel).