I agree with Sagger, once you listen to good tubed gear it is impossible to go back, just don't forget that there is bad tube gear just like there is bad solid state gear. At least try the tube preamp. I use tubed preamp with solid state amp here in the southwest as a powerful tube amp makes so much heat as to make the room impossible to stay in during the summer months.
To tube or not to tube...
I'm interested in upgrading my preamp and have been considering going to a tubed preamp coupled with SS power amp. I hesitate because of the reliability factor. You see, I grew up in the era of tube television sets, so it was a periodic chore to unplug all the tubes from the TV and haul 'em down to the local drugstore's tube tester. We'd wind up replacing a handful of tubes, and then be amazed at how much better the picture and sound was. A year later the drill would repeat. What's the situation with tubed preamps? I see a lot of discussion about trying this brand of tube or the other... I'm wondering how much of that "improvement" is due simply to replacement of weak tubes with fresh ones. What kind of life can one expect from the tubes in a tubed preamp? How much does the sound deteriorate over time as the tubes wear out? Are tubed preamps intended only for those who want and like to fiddle with the innards of their equipment?