Transistor Preamp that sounds like a Tube Preamp?

If you don't need gain, I think a Placette Active (buffer)would accomplish what you are looking for without tubes.

Asa, where do you think passives (resistor or transformer)lie in the SS/Tube linestage devide?

Asa, my experience with passives has not been a consistent journey as some have worked better than others. I've been comparing a series of passives with some pretty good tube pres, most recently CAT SL1 Ultimate, Joule LA150 MKII, and Lamm LL2. In all cases, I thought the system, feeding either a CAT JL2 or Music Reference RM9 Special Edition to Merlin VSM MXes sounded fantastic and musically satisfying - so we are really the realm of hairsplitting and personal preference. I was suprised how one of the passives, a Music Reference Pot-in-a-Box ($135) sounded compared to the tube preamps, and at the price point a bit of a no brainer, but I did still prefer the actives - a bit more dynamic and bloom (which I think is the attribute that differentiates SS from tubes in your description). I also tried a SB102 transformer passive, but I actually preferred the simpler resistor based attentuator - even though most folks will swear up and down that the transformer approach is clearly superior. It wasn't till I received the new Bent TAP-x that uses an autoformer that I felt comfortable making the move to passive in place of the fine tube pres I had been using. I still think personal preference is key here and while their may be an absolute sound, there is not likely absolute ears. In my system, which is very "passive" friendly, the Bent Tap certainly competes with tubes (to my ears). That being said, I still use an Atma-sphere pre with my Atma-sphere amp - there is something to be said for synergy and system context.

The H-cat must be special. Any other users out there with similar conclusions. Possible it will be at RMAF?

I find that as I've gotten older (50)I have slowly, ever so slowly, stopped listening to the equipment and let myself into the music (or vice versa). Its hard as an audiophile, because I love trying equipment and taken a unit's "measure". Unfortuantely, it interferes with the music. I find myself more frequently forgetting about the equipment and that is a good thing - maybe my equipment has gotten better over the years, or I've become a better listener. Asa, you get my sense of "bloom" precisely.

In the real world yes, in GON World a little less so.

I agree the Atma-sphere is not "tube-like" in the sense you describe (rolloff at the extremes with a mid-range push)- I think that older tube gear may have been a bit like that. What is tube-like to me, for both preamps and amps is the elusive concept of bloom which I think Asa described well. It's the way an instrument projects sound into the room and that always seems more realistic (whether it is or not)than what I've been able to accomplish with SS, not that SS gear can't be wonderful, with its own sonic signature. While the Pass XA30.5 doesn't "bloom" like my tube amps, it doesn't mean it isn't a great sounding amp, it is - but it still does not sound like a tube amp, and frankly there is proabably no reason it has to, or should, or ultimatley, can.

Agree, bloom is not warmth, I think of it as Tvad describes it. And I agree on the Pass; I feel very stupid having sold my XA30.5; I miss it and may get one again.