You'll get varying opinions on this one, but I'll give my thoughts: I went from a ss preamp/ss amp to a tubed pre/ss amp to make the sound more real and musical and less analytical. In my experience, a tubed preamp adds more beauty to the music. Some argue this is even ordered harmonic distortion that tubes impart on the musical signals. Whatever it is, I like the added 'warmth' and 'bloom' tubes add, especially through the midrange.
The amount of added bloom and warmth varies from preamp to preamp so you need to find the sound you like. Also, you can change the sound of the preamp by changing the brand of tubes you use.
In the end, it comes down to what sort of sound you're after. I read a recent article that said some think 'accuracy' is the most important determinant of good sound while others prefer 'beauty'- with most audiophiles falling somewhere in between. I think this is true. So go listen to some all SS and some tube/ss hybrids and compare. You'll find out what sound you prefer.
The amount of added bloom and warmth varies from preamp to preamp so you need to find the sound you like. Also, you can change the sound of the preamp by changing the brand of tubes you use.
In the end, it comes down to what sort of sound you're after. I read a recent article that said some think 'accuracy' is the most important determinant of good sound while others prefer 'beauty'- with most audiophiles falling somewhere in between. I think this is true. So go listen to some all SS and some tube/ss hybrids and compare. You'll find out what sound you prefer.