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Your tube preamp and ss amp thread

Last night I was listening to my tube preamp and my tube mono blocks, noticed an imbalance in the sound, and as usual I traced it to a tube problem in the mono blocks. Luckily, I also own a ss stereo amp as a 'backup'. IME, ss amps tend to be a lot more reliable than tube amps. Nonetheless, I would be interested in how many other folk run a tube preamp and ss amp combo, and if so, what are your choices.
128x128daveyf
helomech
1,673 posts
 
I run an Allnic L1500 into a Benchmark AHB2. What stands out most with this combo is the incredible dynamics. I have no desire to revert to a full-tube amp in my main system. 
gochurchgo
920 posts
 
Quicksilver Line Stage into a heavily modded Odyssey Khartago (into Klipsch Heresy IV’s). The quicksilver will probably be swapped for something else (possibly Decware CSP3, AVA Vision or...?)
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,974 posts
 
Good question. If anyone has tried tube preamp + SS amps, plural, I'm curious whether there were sonic differences traceable to the kind of solid state. E.g., 

tube + class A
vs. 
tube + class A/B
vs.
tube + class D
etc.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,182 posts
 
Yes major differences but probably more due to overall design of specific amps used than the general operating Class. 
I would say sound of the Class D Bel Canto amps I use currently resembles sound I have heard in the past with Krell and Classe amps.  Makes dynamic speakers sound more like electrostats (think quad and ML). Very fast effortless and clean but also with dynamics intact.  
fiesta75
1,378 posts
 
I like the tube preamp and SS power amp combo. You should try it both ways because tubes always fail and power amp tubes are more costly. If you have to re-bias the tubes each time, that is also a pain. A lot of people are into class D power amps, I haven't tried one myself.
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