Tube Amp,Solid State Preamp.

FWIW, think of a tube amp with a passive line stage ahead of it. That would (optimally) be the same as a tube amp with solid state pre-amp, except for with the solid state pre-amp you would have gain. In a perfect world. The real magic of tubes is in the amp.

If I could only choose one combo it would be ss pre - tube amp. And that combo is a lot less problematic to set up. Impedence matching is not a real issue, and everything that goes with it.

But, what I don't understand, if you are already buying into the use of a tube amp, which most beginners want to avoid because using tube amps is a bit more demanding, both maintenance and speaker matching, why would you not want a tube pre-amp. It is a great addition tonally, allows much more tonal possibilities, and maintenance/matching is relatively simple.

I use tubes everywhere so I'm prejudiced. :-)

I agree with Newbee in that a tube power amplifier is the way to go. Solid state preamplifiers are fine in this combination, and can sometimes, even be preferable to a tube preamplifier.

If I'm putting tubes anywhere, it's the power amplifier.

I run tube amps with a SS preamp....I love it. Of course 16 300B's and 8 6sn7's is more than enough tubes to deal with. The plusses are I leave the preamp on continualy and I think the SS preamp balances with the 300B tubes nicely. look for a nicely tranparent SS preamp....just one less headache...

I use a tube amp with solid state preamp as well. As Newbee said I actually prefer a passive preamp in front of the tube amp. Right now I alternate a LightSpeed passive attenuator and JRDG Capri with my VAC Auricle Musicblocs. Both are great combinations and preferable to the tube preamp and solid state amp set ups I've had.

I run the Ayre KX-R with a pair of Nagra VPA's, and very happy with the results.

I do it the other way, most of the headache of tubes is in the output tubes. When I was using a custom hybrid amp it had a tube front end and mosfet outputs. I now use a couple of tube pre amps along with transistor and hybrid ones. They all sound different, all good. Go for the sound you like best, if you use good components you can't go wrong either way.

I need to get to the bottom of this, but on the webpage for my Usher 6381's it says "goes better with SS amps". I assume, perhaps, that it's because their rating (87db/8ohm) isn't the easiest to drive (but not THAT hard, I would think??). Still, it's a curious thing to note. I've been curious about tube amps but have always stuck with SS partly due to this suggestion.

I have found that my current amp, which is based on the NS LM3886 chipset, is a musical SS amp with great bass.

I need to get to the bottom of this, but on the webpage for my Usher 6381's it says "goes better with SS amps". I assume, perhaps, that it's because their rating (87db/8ohm) isn't the easiest to drive (but not THAT hard, I would think??). Still, it's a curious thing to note. I've been curious about tube amps but have always stuck with SS partly due to this suggestion.

The 87db efficiency may or may not be a factor depending on the size of your room, the dynamic range of what you listen to, and how loudly you listen. But I suspect other factors are involved as well.

First, I see that they are rated for 150W; a 150W tube amp will tend to be expensive (quite likely more expensive than the speakers for a good one), as well as big and heavy.

Also, it could be that the speaker impedance drops to low values at some frequencies, which would make them easier to drive with a solid state amp (due to its typically lower output impedance). That is not indicated either way in the specs I looked at. And it could be that the speakers require the better bass damping and control that goes with that typically lower output impedance.

A lot of these considerations potentially relate to the original poster's question as well, and make it difficult to give an all-purpose answer.

Regards,
-- Al

I run the Ayre KX-R with a pair of Nagra VPA's, and very happy with the results.

For the price, I should certainly hope so :). LOL.

Regards,
-- Al

Thanks Almarg. You certainly shed some light on the situation. Since they made the point of making that comment in their own product write-up, it's probably good advice, for whatever reason. Though I'm sure that it's a general rule, and not a hard and fast one