Tube Preamp with Solid State Amp?

in all candor i think that the theory that tubes mixed with SS is superior to straight up SS is
an audiophile myth. if i understand the situation one is taking what should be a neutral SS amp then throwing a tube preamp into the mix to warm things up. why not purchase the best neutral SS combo or integrated that you can afford, add a very good front end and then select the speaker that best suits your taste.
SS  today can be stunning. i think that a person that thinks they need a softener up front either hasn’t heard good SS or has other system issues. coloration up front is a bad idea imo.. tubes are fine offering a different sonic presentation but they aren’t better imo.. just different. all that said it is cooler to use tubes and a fun ride if one wants to roll tubes..

I have a Pass Labs XA 60.8 with a Joule Electra LA 150.  The Joule Electra is a tube preamp no longer in production.  I fell into this setup when I sold my McIntosh tube amp.  With my Avantgarde horn speakers this combination sounds amazing.  Not saying any of this will work for your musical taste but just that there is no obvious reason to worry about mixing tube preamp with an IC amp.  It’s all about the sound you are like looking for.

Honestly, it is wonderful, when you can find the combo, that is right for you. I have gone passive ( Luminous Audio Axiom Walker unit ), and enjoy my dac and tuner feeding my ss power amps directly, driving my modified Klipsch Lascalas. I do not want extra warmth, added coloration, nothing to smooth over, no loss of details, as I want to hear my recordings, as they are. For " me ", passive works. I do not hear sterility, as some folks mention. I do get a better understanding of the nuances, the textures, the emotions, the palpability, if you will, of what the musicians are doing, individually, and, together. In my experience, and for my enjoyment, this is the most important aspect of listening to music. ymmv. Enjoy !

By the way...if anyone with really sensitive speakers are considering one of the new McIntosh integrated amps (252.352), you may want to consider the high gain. Mac wrote me back and said their tube integrated amps have a total gain of 44db. The rep stated that tube hiss would be quite loud on my ZU Omen 101 db speakers. 

When I tried my former high gain amp with Solid State Pre.....noise was not an issue. 

at the end of the day it’s all about the sound that pleases the listener regardless of how you get there. i just think that up front the system should be neutral with great clarity. this puts most good speakers in play allowing one to then find the speakers that have the characteristics he/she values for their music. the flavor you might say. 
ymmv