Benefits of tube sound with SS amp with tube cdp?

I used to have a tube cdp, tube preamp, and SS amp that sounded really good. I changed to a different tube cdp, passive pre, and the same amp and it sounds awesome.
First I changed from a SF Line 3 SE to Placette Passive and the transparency and overall musicality improved dramatically. No dozen tubes to replace in the Passive and the initial cost was far less. The sound was further improved when I replaced the SFCD-1 with a Granite Audio 657 tube cd player.
The output level from the SFCD-1 was good with the passive, but the variable output on the tube stage of the 657 is better. I never have tried the cdp direct to amp, because there would be no remote for volume.

Mijknarf,
I think the benefits were about equal from each component, but in different ways so it's difficult to quantify. The Line 3 SE preamp was gone before I got the Granite 657 cdp, so I could not compare them together to know what that combination sounded like. The Placette Passive linestage had the most initial impact, perhaps because it was used and any break-in had already been done. The sound was not only like a veil had been lifted, but some heavy curtains were opened as well. The Placette has made it easier to distinguish component, cable, and cord changes in my system.

It took some time for the Granite 657 to settle in, so after about 100 hours I swapped the SFCD-1 back in. Not long ago the SFCD-1 was considered among the best one box players available, but it was not as dynamic or musical as the 657. The difference was very obvious even with casual listening.
Both players had NOS tubes.

I highly recommend both the Granite 657 cdp and Placette Passive linestage. Both companies have a trial period.

This thread prompted me to try the cdp direct to the amp.
The way it was set up before made the 1m IC too short to reach the amp or I would have tried it sooner. Bottom line is it sounds better through the Placette Passive than direct from the Granite 657 to amp. It's very good direct, but it does not have the same three dimensional image as through the linestage.