Class D amp with Tube Preamp Combo?


Have you ever tried a good class D/T amp & tube preamp combination? I have read their can be some occasional problems matching these together?

I was thinking of going this way to get the drive, clarity and efficiency of the switching amp combined with the warmth and full body of the tube pre amp.

What setup are you using?

My first post by the way! I have been reading this forum for the last two weeks learning about audio and what to buy for my first serious system.
jaffa_777
There are a lot of wizened people contributing to this topic. Several are mirroring my experience over the four years I went class D over conventional amps. What I thought was really cool then would be nonsense to my ears now. With the narrowing down the components that do work, and those that don't my sound has taken leaps to ever more accurate fidelity. Like Guidocorona says, Patience is needed.

Oh, on topic, I am using a class A preamp of unearthly quality. The tubes are in the non-oversampling DAC.
Bostonbean thanks for the kind words on my system i've put in alot of time and effort to get the sound i am receiving now which is to my ears is superior. Imaging, sound stage, bottom end and air along with a super 3 D delivery. Along with many different components going in and out of the system the wife and myself have logged many hours enjoying music with it.

Muralman1 i have gone the upgrade route with my amps two offered in the past 3 years. One of the best moves in the right direction was going with a tubed preamp with Siemens cca tubes using my class D amps. I also think that my preference to analog playback with vinyl adds to what my amps and system can deliver. A very easy to sit and listen sound.
Yours is a great system, Stltrains. Your sound is, "Very easy to sit and listen to." My sound leans more to the live band. That is what I prefer. That is the marvelous thing about class D. It's sound can be sculpted to any preference.
Muralman1 aint it just grand when we get our system to sound the way we wanted it to. As you already know it takes a lot of time and effort to get the best from your system, sitting pat wont do. You can get the sound you thought was possible. Glad you have yours sounding the way you hoped.
Enjoy the music.
Ait,

I think you need to mention that your assessment of the Gilmore amp as compared to the Nuforce was based on experience w/ your particular system where the Nuforce Ref 9SE V2 had issue with noise. I mentioned before that the Nuforce once properly set up, will shine like no others but only IF properly set up. Now, the top of the line Gilmore is based on the ICE power ISP 1000 module of which I have experienced in my previous amps, the Bel Canto 1000. The comparison wasn't even close, the Nuforce was head and shoulder above the Bel Canto (SOLD) and I would think the Gilmore could not be be much different.

Just my $.02.

Kenobi