If you had to choose: tube amp or tube pre-amp?

So the general consensus seems to be a tube pre to add to a s.s. amp.

My budget is tight (like living on student loan tight) so I've been looking at the Little Dot MK IV SE (with NOS tubes), but I wasn't sure if it will work with my B&K amp??

If I could find a good deal on a AES AE-3 that would be great, but so far no luck. I've also been reading good things about Dared SL2000A with different tubes.

Any thoughts??

Thanks!

Thanks everyone, I am using Klipsch RP-5's for my front channels

Basically my typical music plays through these components :

MacBook or airport ---> Monarchy DIP Upsampler --xlr--> Emotiva XDA-1 DAC --xlr ---> B&K amp ---> RP-5's

The preamp built into the Emotiva gives the music a very thin, scratchy sound at higher volumes...Im not familiar with how to describe it in audiophile vernacular, but it sounds digital with no richness. So I was hoping throughing in a tube pre after the DAC will clear up that problem....anyone have an opinion on the Little Dot IV SE if I can't find an AES?

I meant to say in my last post that I run to the Sony from the DAC when I want to listen with the subwoofer playing, but I've found whether I go straight to the B&K and bypass the Sony, or not, I stll get the sharp sounding music the higher the volume goes.

I'm playing all flac music 24/96, and I have my speakers hooked up with quad 16ga wire, I'm not using the line -in for the sub.

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice.

Al, to follow up with your suggestion regarding the DAC. For a while I actually had it hooked up in the fashion you suggested (emotive to Sony, with the emotiva volume at max, and use Sony to control level) but the improvement is very minute. I figured the small change was attributed to bypassing Emotivas preamp for Sony's slightly better one.

With that being said, you don't necessarily think that if the Emotiva was running to a tube preamp instead of Sony's SS it would help reduce the sharpness of the music?

You're right Charles, the topic started to deviate...but this been extremely helpful. So it sounds like I'll start with the tube pre over an amp!

The last thing I'll ask, when I select a pre-amp are there any factors I should look for to determine if it's going to match well with the B&K amp???

Thanks Al, that's good advice. Unfortunately the Emotiva is an "upgrade" that I just added a couple months back, and although it sounds better with the DAC than without, I was hoping the preamp could clean it up before the amp....but I believe you're right, in the end the source of the problem seems to lie in the emotiva DAC..

Anyone have any thoughts the previous question about what specs to look at when making sure the amp and preamp tube are compatible? (aside from the most obvious option - just listening) :)

Al, I can't thank you enough for your help. That was a fantastic explanation, with tangible examples. THANK YOU!