Tube Preamps that work well with SS amps?


I'm looking for a tube preamp after years of strictly SS. My amps will remain SS. Which tube preamp(s) in your experience mated well with a SS amp? I'm trying to avoid the odd phenomenon where tube preamp + SS amp = slow, soggy sound in spite of benign impedance characteristics

greg7

I Have used ss pre and power for years and years and....recently decided to give tubes a try.

Was using a krell pre and krell 2250 power amp plenty of current to drive my tannoy D700s

So got the chance of an Audio Research Ref3 pre (new tubes) and all I can say is should have done it years and years and .....you get the drift.

The Krell combo was dynamic and detailed but the Ref3 has transformed my whole listening experience to another level; more live sounding, engaging, without loosing any dynamics or detail....wonderful !!  

Let's frame this question another way.  Other than when there is an impedance mismatch between them, are there any other circumstances under which a tube preamp + SS amp combo will not work well?

McIntosh MC500 and C2300 tube preamp. Also an Mx110z and MC30s both of which are tubes. A tube amp and preamp doesn’t necessarily produce the results you’re are referring. 

An Audible Illusions 3A worked very well with my Adcom 555 and Meitner STR-101.

Other than when there is an impedance mismatch between them, are there any other circumstances under which a tube preamp + SS amp combo will not work well?

@twoleftears  The main issue is probably how well the preamp does in the bass. This is an impedance issue, but its the impedance of the preamp at 20Hz, not 1KHz, where output impedance is usually measured. With most tube preamps the output impedance rises as the frequency goes down; at 20Hz it can easily be several times higher than its 1KHz value.

This is part of why solid state preamps might play deeper bass- they may have a direct-coupled output. You can have a direct-coupled output with tubes too; there are only two preamps I know of, the Atma-Sphere preamps which have a balanced output, and the Messenger which has a single-ended output.