Tube Preamp with Solid State Amp?

Yes. It’s a great appetizer. Gets you there part of the way in hybrid fashion if you love the sound of tubes.  For me, it was not quite the full coarse meal. While I enjoyed running my 6SN7 triode based preamplifier with my class A/AB solid state amps, I went back. Eventually the SS amp got replaced too.  

I upgraded to a Tim De Paravicini EAR 868 preamp this year.  An older  classic tube design. I gave it some thought and came to the conclusion that newer does not always mean better.  This was a very wise decision.  Some things in audio seem to have a quality that is timeless. 

Using a VTL 5.5 series 1 pure tube preamp and dual 120 watt monoblocks from Odyssey, with a 150 watt B&W sub running Klipsch reference speakers with a tube Jolida CD player. The bass is phenomenal, low end to the point of foundation shaking, thumbing, with very rich mid-bass. The tube preamp opens up the richness of the music. The VTL reduces the harsh CD sound, eliminates the compressed sound. Jazz bass, classical music chelo and double bass is rich full and very present whereas the solid state preamp failed misabarley. I used a Acurus preamp for years, it was quiet and clear as a bell, but sounded compressed.  Solid state monoblock rock the bass huge. The owner of Odyssey said flat out that these mono blocks are made for a tube preamplifier. Man this system is so rich , just love it. It is very difficult for a system to replicate a symphony orchestra, but this system does a great in doing so. 

I have two setups. For most music I use a straight Odyssey Audio system. Khartago SS monos, Candela tube pre, and Kismet Reference floor standers. The SS + tube pre is everything I want. I’ll spare you the colorful adjectives to describe the sound. I thought I had experienced good system synergy in the past. And then I listened to the Odyssey system. I listened before learning the price. I almost didn’t believe it. My other setup is Emotiva Stealth 8 active monitors for super accurate, fast and crisp listening (electronic/heavily engineered music). They’re so good. Sometimes I add the tube pre for some sparkle to the sound. I like the way AMTs sound with tube gear.

Edit: forgot to mention that I’ll pull out the Willsenton R8 from time to time. I like it best with the Klipsch. I lose a little something when I use it with low efficiency speakers.

I have a Krell FPB 600 and an ARC ref 6 preamp. It sound amazing with my B&W Matrix 800 s. Best of both worlds to me.