Tube Preamp with Solid State Amp?


Greetings!

I’ve seen some folks using Tube Preamps with Solid State Am ps. I’m thinking of doing that with my system as part of an incremental change. I currently have a Parasound P5 preamp with a Parasound A21 driving Klipsch Cornwall 4’s. Will a decent / good Tube Preamp really make a difference in my sound? I enjoy what I have now but really want to experience Tubes in my system. Thanks!
128x128bigjohn9095
No suggestions on a tube preamp for my CJ mf200?? I’m looking for something with a remote in the $500 used range. I’m new to separates and looking for some good advice. Thanks 
A tube pre amp with your Cornwalls would be an excellent move.

As the proud owner of a pair of K-horns I bought new 42 years ago, I can tell you Klipsch speakers respond well to tubed gear. In fact , I use all tubes with the exception of a Mac 250 that I use to power the bass on my bi-amped speakers.

I use an Eastern Electric tube pre-amp. The build quality is unbelievable, sound is fantastic, and you can tube roll to your hearts content. I have found in most instances my pair of Telefunken 12au7s sound the best out of close to a dozen different brands that I roll, Mullard included. (better bass, stone quiet).

I bought mine 15 years ago, absolutely love it. I'm sure you would too!  Enjoy!!!
Oh, forgot to mention, I use vintage tubes whenever possible. There is a lot of magic built into those old 50s, 60s, 70s built tubes!
No suggestions on a tube preamp for my CJ mf200?? I’m looking for something with a remote in the $500 used range

That's a relatively low budget for decent tube gear unless you are looking small form factor (Pro-Ject boxes) or some of the Chinese brands.  I have liked some of the Chinese gear I've had...Yaquin has some stuff in that price range.  Not sure about remotes. 

Valvet is a good example of a manufacturer that subscribes to the tube pre/solid state amp school of thought. Can read some of my impressions here:
https://taww.co/post/190866808752/valvet-a4-mkii-amp-soulshine-preamp

I also used the Valvet Soulshine tube pre on the Bryston 4B Cubed, and it actually worked decently well as the Valvet has a relatively stout output, but the Bryston has a very low input impedance which isn't very friendly to most tube pres. There was some collapse of the soundstage at lower volume settings, and overall the Pass XP10 was better in that application. The specific tubes and circuit employed will have a heavy bearing on how well it mates with a particular amp.

That all said, and with the disclaimer that I am not at all a fan of tubes in general, I have to agree with other commenters that with a speaker as ostensibly tube-friendly as the Klipsch it's worth exploring a lower-power amp. Parasound amps are nice and clean but in my experience if you can get away with a lower-power tube or Class A solid state amp, you can unlock additional layers of musical nuance and enjoyment. Pass XA25 and Valvet E2 are a couple SS examples that could be magical and I would probably start there as the next step - get the most synergistic amplifier possible for the speakers, then look top optimize the preamp. You likely want something better than the Parasound at that point, but hard to say until you settle on the amp. (I'd also avoid preamps that have a built-in DAC unless you don't have the budget for a comparable outboard DAC.)

What type of music is this for, btw, and how loud do you need it?