I think this is similar to that old line about if you’re questioning your sanity you probably aren’t quite crazy yet. If you’re worried about being able to handle tubes your question has already proven you probably are.
What’s the worst that can happen? If you forget to turn it off, you might waste a little tube life. That’s okay, preamp tubes last thousands of hours. There are a lot of preamps you could probably leave on 24/7 and just change the tubes once a year.
Maybe you won’t like it. Maybe you will. Buy a used “starter” pre to test it out. Get a taste for it. Experiment a little. Find out what type of tubes you like. Then step up to a better pre after you know more. You can always go back. It’s only money and time that you’re trading for experience.
What’s the worst that can happen? If you forget to turn it off, you might waste a little tube life. That’s okay, preamp tubes last thousands of hours. There are a lot of preamps you could probably leave on 24/7 and just change the tubes once a year.
Maybe you won’t like it. Maybe you will. Buy a used “starter” pre to test it out. Get a taste for it. Experiment a little. Find out what type of tubes you like. Then step up to a better pre after you know more. You can always go back. It’s only money and time that you’re trading for experience.