Solid state power + tube pre or visa versa?

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.

"High Fidelity" does not mean the results are pleasant, only accurate.

A high fidelity image of Medusa is the ugliest of all.

Though in a lot of modern depictions of Madusa, she is actually kinda hot! Must be photo shopped....

Tube preamp ss amp is the only way to go.

I agree you have had plenty of good advice here and you're obviously an experienced and intelligent guy yourself. Lots of listening combined with patience and you will find a happy combination... Worse case you may miss the mark by a little, or not...and of course you will really refine it all with cables and room treatments.

I have become more impressed with the evolution of SS in general but once I "Discovered" quality tube sound it still brings me far closer to lifelike reproduction than anything else... FWIW my system runs through a tubed phono stage or a tubed Dac into a tubed preamp and matching tubed monoblocs.

Lots of great equipment out there of both genres sounding remarkable but my ears still tell me: "Tubes Rule"!

Good luck and enjoy the ride.
Happy Lissn'n!