Tubeyist sounding Pre-amp?

Tube Haters key in on the negative aspects of tube amplification: Great, fat, bloated, lacking transparency like trying to read fine print through a layer of mud while wearing a welder's mask

and fell that tendency is worse than the benefits of a warm, liquid, honeyed, smooth sound.

The trick is to get lots of the latter while minimizing the former subjective qualities.

Anything that does that for say $500??

I am going to go to bed tonight and have " tubey" dreams. Will get back with you on which preamplifier fills the bill.

Best
Jim

It's funny to me reading all the above descriptions of tube sound running the full gamut, particularly liked your's bpoletti, now THAT is what some tube haters really mean when they refer to tubey sound. To others it means a degree of warmth or body that some components lack which leads to fatigue as does too much tubeyness.

In any case Randy-11 as one who has owned many tube pre's and power amps and listened to many more there is no definitive answer. The answer lies in your system and what you are trying to achieve and sometimes it's just a hit or miss proposition. I won't add to the responses above as I would tend to agree with most. Only one thing though is when the word "neutral" comes into the mix as it so often does. I suppose that means reproducing EXACTLY what is on the recording, personally not for me, been there done that, better to enjoy as much of your music as possible whatever brings that about. Besides, there really is no "neutral" there is only  real and reproduced and how we reconcile the two. 

 

Aesthetix.

Maybe try a Yaquin tube buffer between your amp and pre.  $200 at Amazon.com of all places.  I hear these things work.