Shouldnt you match tube with tube ?

I had a Classe DR-10 (SS) with an Audible Illusions Pre (tube) for years. When I originally got the AI and used it with a Hafler amp I immediately notice a huge improvement. The Classes made for much more but one thing I noticed was the Classe was VERY warm. Recently I bought a used Rogue 88 Magnum to go all tube. WOW, what a differrence...clarity, detail soundstage... I have been doing tube rolling to NOS Mullards for the KT88s and they bring a lot more balance and some additional clarity ($720 for the 4). I am also fixing up the small signal tubes to Bugle Boys and RCAs.
I agree in general with the comments above but for the CD player. Going digital does all the damamge to the music. I can't imagine that having tubes in the final pre-preamp stage will make much differrence. I have a Nakamichi OMS-7 that STILL beats anything today that I have heard for a CD player and it has to be 15+ years old. Listen to a regular CD on it vs. a SACD on my pricey Denon 5910 and the Nak is a clear winner.

Each component has its own contribution in the reproduction of the signal. So the more tubes you have, the more "tube" sound you will get, strictly speaking. So, for MORE tube sound, both amp and preamp should be tube. And yes, you are right to get the most tube sound, you should have tube everything - even CD player and phono stage, tuner also.

But in reality, it all gets much more complicated of course. Some tubes don't sound like tubes and some SS sounds like tubes and everything gets blurry. The secret is to know what you want and like and strive for that sound.

Arthur

There are number of reasons. I can think of a few reasons I don't have a tube amp.

I have considered a tube amp before, but....

1) My speakers are difficult to drive. An all-tube amp that can properly drive my speakers is expensive.
2) The hassle of re-tubing. Tube life is relatively short in power amps. The need for carefully matched tubes that are low microphonics....becomes pretty expensive to re-tube. Biasing a tube amp....not everyone is up to this task and sending the amp in to re-tube and to bias is expensive. Bringing it to a local tech is not cheap either and one has to know a reliable tech.
3) A powerfull tube amplifiers are large and require open space for proper ventilation. They generate heat.
4) There are solid state amps that are really good.

Now, a hybrid amp is a different story. I know of a few that will probably have the best of both worlds, but they still cost more than a solid state with comparable power delivery.

And why don't you question the source component?
A tube cd player would be in order, no?

When I have a budget to buy the tube amp I want, I will do that. Until then, I'm using a tube line stage, which is cheap to re-tube, with a good solid state amp and it sounds great!!!