Solid state power + tube pre or visa versa?

11-03-15: Dismord
... find myself wondering at a recommendation that the combination of solid state preamp with tube power amp is ALWAYS better.

Unequivocal absolute statements like that are ALMOST ALWAYS wrong :-). This being no exception.

This question has been debated in many past threads, and IMO the only reasonable answer is that it depends. On many things. Including what kind of amplification the speakers are designed to be used with, how their impedance varies as a function of frequency, how much power they need, the relation between the input impedance of the amplifier and the output impedance characteristics of the preamp (tube pre/ss power being the easiest combo to go wrong with in that respect), listener preferences, listener budget (a given number of tube watts will generally tend to cost more than the same number of solid state watts, for comparable quality), and of course the specific choice of components.

In my 35 years as an audiophile I've had some experience with all four combinations, and in recent years I've settled on tube-friendly speakers, tube power amplification, and solid state preamplification (although used in conjunction with a phono stage that I've just changed from solid state to tube-based).

Sorry to hear about the flood issue you experienced. Good luck as you proceed.

Regards,
-- Al

Mapman, you just don't get it, do you?
The OP has been moving back and forth for decades and he is no close now to choose. Comprendes, amigo?

I think he got good advice in this thread in response to his question that should help whatever way he might choose..

In that there are many combos of tube and SS that can work out quite well, as OP has exprienced first hand and has been re-iterated here, the key to to decide where to start and just do it right from there. Some will build their system around a tube amp. Some will build around particular speakers. Doesn't really matter as well as done properly with a plan to help assure things work together optimally.

You can even build around a particualr pre-amp. Does not matter as long as all teh pieces of teh puzzle fit together in the end including most importantly (IMHO) how teh speaker will perform in teh target room.

The only thing I can add is that I wince whenever I read someone say they want to put a tube something (often a pre-amp, but sometimes a buffer) in their system "to add some warmth" or "to warm it up". What an un-HiFi concept! I saw that comment made by Steve Hoffman, of all people. I wouldn't have thought it needed to be said, but apparently being mistaken I'll say it here: "Adding" anything is the very antithesis of High Fidelity, where being as transparent and sonically invisible is the goal.

If you find a system to sound "cold", the solution is not to add warmth, but to get rid of whatever is causing the coldness. First principle's! Real good tube products don't sound "warm", they don't sound anyway at all if they are transparent. The same with real good solid state products, which don't sound "cold". If a component adds warmth or coldness to a system, it is not a perfect High Fidelity product, by definition. While there may be no perfectly transparent components, adding two wrongs to make a right is not a recipe for success. Better to work at minimizing imperfection than trying to perfectly counteract a greater than necessary amount of it in the opposite, also imperfect, direction.