Tube Pre amp or Solid Pre Amp

I believe the answer depends on two issues:

1. What is your price range for a preamp? As this will perhaps determine or limit the sonic qualities you are seeking.

2. What is your listening preference? Warmth and bloom and/or detail and transparency? Some to many tubes (in my limited experience) focus on warmth and 3-D bloom primarily in the midrange frequencies with light to serious roll offs at the frequency extreme highs and lows producing what what might consider a somewhat subdued sound. Whereas some to many solid state units focus on detail and transparency across a much greater frequency range but can easily lack warmth and bloom and may even be considered flat or suppressed in the very critical midrange region.

If your budget is very tight, and you are seeking detail over all else, you may want to entertain the solid state route first to see what you come up with. As your budget increases you should be able to venture more easily into either camp with fewer compromises that are supposedly typical of tubes and solid state but it's not a guarantee.

Again, my experience with tubes (and solid state for that matter) is quite limited but based on that experience and my readings, I believe the above to be true. Otherwise I'd change my opinion. :)

-IMO

To curb a bit of the brighness in your system, you might want to try another pair of interconnects. It appears that your interconnects are silver which from what I understand can lead to a bright sound in some systems.

You might try a used pair of Harmonic Technology Pro Silway Mk II interconnects which combine copper and silver in a single crystal technology. They are very detailed but in my system do not appear to be bright.

A used 1meter pair go for about $175 -$225 on audiogon.com.

If this does not cure your problem or perhaps another interconnect, then you should be able to sell the cables pretty much for what you bought them and then investigate the preamp.

Also, you might consider doing some research on room acoustics. Perhaps your room has a very 'live' sound and therefore bright sounds could tend to be overly bright.

-IMO (whose were you expecting?)