Tube or solid state

All of the best systems I’ve heard featured full tube preamps into tube amplifiers, and that combo is my preference. If I could only pick one, I’d be inclined to go with an integrated tube amp.

My best sound has been tube preamp to tube amp with very efficent horn speakers (current setup). So, if your speakers are inefficient, you might someday change your speakers!

However there is budget, and love of existing speakers, and WAF, so ...

I’ve done SS preamp into tube amps (mono blocks) and been happy, just more happy with tube/tube.

I’ve done tube preamp to SS amp (those less efficient speakers needed plenty of power) and been happy, just ....

One or the other, tube preamp to SS amp. My friends bring their equipment here from time to time, recently a friends new tube phono stage, and alternate tubes the seller included. We tube rolled, found the preferred tubes for his, surprisingly the rectifier tube change made a big difference. Then compared his to mine. We both preferred mine, so it can be prefer ’this particular’ unit, or the which tubes in that preamp.

I settled on a CD player, vintage Sony xa5400. I liked it thru a friends SS preamp, we both loved it thru my tube preamp. I might not have kept it if I heard it thru my old SS preamp.

The ’right’ tube selection can definitely make a difference in preamps, amps, phono stages ... it’s hard and can be pricey to find the preferred ones (not better, preferred).

There has to be 100 threads on this already, search archives....

Count me in with those preferring tube-tube signal path. In context of the OP topic, I’d go transistor-tube rather than tube-transistor. In reality you can enjoy success with either option. However, I agree with larryi in that the tube amplifier provides more of the “ tube” effect/influence than a tube preamplifier.

My preference assumes compatible speakers with a good tube amplifier. Some speakers are designed with the intended partnering with transistor amplifiers. 

Charles

One thing to have in mind is that many tubed preamps have a high output resistance requiring careful matching with some ss power amps. Otherwise any combination can be successful, depending on speaker, but i have to agree that generally tube sound is more evident with tubed power amps.