Pre-Power Best Synergy

Sonic Frontiers SFM 75 monos with a CJ PV-14AL preamp

The synergy should be with the amp and the speakers first. The amp should just pass along the systems front end sound. There are various synergies and all to me do one thing or another but not all. A tube preamp (at least the ones I am listening to now about 6) each differ slightly mostly in bass reproduction and the mids either being warm or slightly wamer than neutral, or forward or laid back. The SS premaps I have heard have better the tube preamps in bass slam and dynamics so far. I am speaking in the $6K range and under.

The Sim W-5 works well with both the P-5 SS pre and most tube preamps from what I remember.

I have been unable to get my hands on the Prima DAC so that was a major factor with that particular DAC.

Funny the best synergy I have heard is the Bob Carver Sunfire Architects Choice Series II mated with the Musical Fidelity 308 preamp, what ever the amp does with the mids, the 308 corrects it. Go figure that match up.

Happy Listening.

I know it's not a tube solution, but I'd suggest trying out a transformer-based passive linestage (aka TVC) like the Bent Audio NOH no matter which power amp you decide on. Mine works sublime, transparent magic whether it's driving my Sugden AU51p SS amp or my Wavelength 300B SETs.

Both the amps you mention have an input sensitivity sufficiently high to make this a pretty sure-fire solution. I've compared it to the Sim P-5, and the NOH lets quite a bit more music through.