Favorite Pre Amp and Amp with Vandersteen?

I've used Bryston (3B-SST), BAT (VK250SE), and now Rogue M-180 tube monoblocks. I've also auditioned the BAT VK-55 (tubes). The VK-250 was certainly very good, but I used it for trade-in on the Rogues, which are more transparent and natural sounding. (Actually I auditioned the M-150s first, really liked them, and then decided to order M-180s).

Oddly, it's the tubed Rogues that seem to have less of a sound "signature" than the solid state VK-250. The VK-55 had a midrange to die for, but was missing a lot at the frequency extremes. The Rogues are more neutral, but you don't feel you are losing anything on the frequency extremes.

I use the Rogue's in triode mode, and the only non-stock tubes I'm using are a pair of Ei Elite 12AX7s (Yugoslavian tubes). I tried some RCA clear tops 12AU7s, but preferred the Philips tubes that the Rogues came with.

Perhaps I should have tried the more modest Rogue offerings first, like the Atlas or Stereo 90. I was on a sort of upward spending trajectory when I bought the M-180s, and was also intent on keeping everything balanced (and my high-pass filters were the balanced ones), which doesn't seem as important now in retrospect.

I have not settled on a pre-amp. I'm currently somewhat dissatisfied with my BAT 3iX. It seems to suck away too much detail. I run my DAC directly into the amps.

The Rogue Hera sounds unbelievable with almost any amp in the loop, especially the Rogue monoblocks!

Rogue is one I would like to hear in the tube amp camp.

Tube Audio Design products another in the SS/tube hybrid camp.

in the straight SS camp, I would tend to lean towards some of the better Class D amps.

Many, many years ago I heard the old Quicksilver monos with the original Vandy 2s and was very impressed. FWIW.