going from tube preamp to solid state

@innersound300

I tried various combos of amps and pre amps over many decades. In the end I generally preferred a solid state amp and a tube preamp.

I have the same preference.

Consider posting the issue that you’re having with sound reproduction, such as soundstage and post a photo of your system and a listing of components in your profile. This will get you to a better solution without presupposing that the problem has to do with your preamp.

I will never ever get rid of my tube audio equipment.  Preamp or power amp. I also will never ever give up my solid state power amp or preamp.  They both have there own area's of sound reproduction plus and minus.  I have 3 different systems each one of th has a tube preamplifier connected to a solid state power amplifier.  Solid state for the deep more control bass and tube for liquid midrange and sweet silky highs.i also have system with just solid state equipment and one system that's all tube- power amp  and preamp.  Like I mentioned earlier they both have there plus and minus but I need both to make ears whole.

So let me get this straight; you like the sound of your preamp but not the tubes in it?  How do questions like this get past the moderator?  All I'll say is that if you listen to records through a low (0.2 mV or lower) output cartridge, odds are a solid state preamp will be quieter with less hiss and less typical tube noise.

I don't have experience with good tube preamps and want to avoid them due to maintenance, microphonics, noise, distortion, and power usage. I just received my benchmark HPA4 and have been pleased so far. The clarity, imaging, and wide bandwidth are amazing. 30 day money back and the HPA4 is $3300 and the LA4 w/o headphone is $2900. I came here to say that PCs and fuses can help you tailor the sound, even with these types. Look at the rest of your system too. My next stop in a guest for warmth with all SS, all digital is the wall outlet. I have Furutech GTD-R which has a bit of U shaped EQ, and was suggested to use SR Purple or Audience outlets.

Maybe some heavy McMasters felt glued on the front of your large floor standing speakers would help with imaging. Like old Dunlavys or Wilsons. I plan to try that with my psb platinum T8 towers.

@nagel

If you really love great sound quality you really deserve to own a great tube preamp. It is easy to develop a list of potential problems with a technology and stay a way from it.

For several decades I stayed away from tubed amps. For me, it was a real mistake. The “problems” were so minuscule and the benefits so large it isn’t funny. I have owned tubed preamps for decades and tube amps for only about 5,000 hours of listening time (the last 4 years). I wish I had allowed myself to get a great tube amp decades ago.

My experience. But most of the audiophiles I know switched to tubes late and never went back to so,I’d state,