Tube Pre/ Class D Amp - Who has done it?

For few years i used Primaluna Prologue Premium preamp with Nord Hypex NC500 class-D poweramp. Was quite happy with the result (Focal Electra speakers). When tested RME ADI 2 DAC with integrated preamp instead of Primaluna, sound was clean, but lifeless, unnatural and boring, in lack of better description. Later switched to Primaluna EVO 400 preamp with much lower output impendence, and that had better extension and clarity, very obvious improvements after few seconds of listening!  

By way of usual audiophile nonsense, I once had my VAC Master tube preamp ($30K) hooked up to a NAD M22 (nCore class D). It sounded great! Much MUCH better than with matching M12 digital preamp, which was comparatively awful. I even considered sticking with this combo for a while (in my second system), or upgrading to the M23 (Eigentakt). However, in the end - yes, I still prefer either a really good SS class AB (Phison) or tube amp (VAC), versus the class D. But that little NAD M22 was a hell of pleasant surprise, and it’s super for the money (my other amps are much more expensive). However, I think it really benefits from a tube pre to round out its sound for best 2ch enjoyment. Yes, it is "drier" in comparison to really good traditional amps. 

dehavilland 6SN7 style preamp into hypex amp. Very nice combo but still a bit sterile in mids and bright/forward in highs.

@daytrader bass got faster but everything else, (ie, what I call tube magic) was lost. Class D has its place in my opinion, just not in a critical listening environment when the life of the music is most important.  

+1, yep, and the difference is notable when comparing to good tube amplifier designs and tubes. Getting closer but not there yet [in most cases]. A few designers claim to be as good as or better now with Class-D, and hope they keep working at it. Will be interesting to see more Class-D powering all parts of the main speakers [not just low freq] showing up at the shows next few years, as tbd.  

I have a Shindo preamp into Quicksilver V4 monos(170w into 8 & 4 ohms w/kt150s). Went to a difficult stand speaker, 85 dB, 4 ohm dipping down to 3.2, ouch!  Tried class D power amps because of the drip in impedance, base got faster but everything else, (ie, what I call tube magic) was lost. 
 

Class D has its place in my opinion, just not in a critical listening environment when the life of the music is most important.  

I use Atma-Sphere Class D amps during the summer with an Atma-Sphere tube preamp.  It’s a very nice combination as you might expect.  I still prefer the Atma-Sphere tube amp during the remainder of the year unlike some who have reported here in the past, including its maker.  Like everything else in this hobby synergy is the key.

Due to a recent change in speakers, I decided I needed a more powerful set of monoblock amps than my Herron M2 class A/B amps (160 watts each) which were matched with a Herron VTSP-360 tube preamp.

I decided to give the PS Audio M1200 Stellar monoblocks a try. They are Class D, and 600 watts each. They have a single tube in the input stage.

This turned out to be a nice pairing, providing the power needed for my power hungry Gershman Studio xDB speakers while giving up nothing in sound quality to the Herron amps, which sound amazing, but just didn’t have enough grunt for the Gershmans.

I also have an older Wyred 4 Sound stereo amp in a second system paired with an ARC LS26 and Klipsch Quartet speakers. The W4S amp is just a little rolled off in the treble, which results in better control of the "shouty" nature of the Klipsch speakers. It’s in a bedroom system and not set up ideally or ever played very loud, but sounds great at moderate volumes. It could be a nice main system for someone on a budget.

I have a Cary SLP-05 tube preamp and used a well known high quality 500 watt GaN class D amp for a while.  

The sound was comparable to the better Class D amps I have heard except truly the speed of this amp was off the charts.  It was able to delineate differences in rapid fire percussion like no other amp I have owned or heard.  Actually topped the speed of the Pass XA25, another unusually rapid fire amplifier.  

I just did not prefer the overall sound of the amp.  Somewhat drier, matter of fact, not even a hint of glow.  

I would recommend a quality class D amp if you need lots of relatively economic power for current hungry speakers like Magnepan or have a need for amplifiers with a light weight compact footprint.  

Based strictly on sound quality the answer is no.  

I have a BHK preamp controlling my Atma-Sphere Class D amps I am amazed how good the combination sounds. I also have. a pair of Cary 211FE amps that I also use with the same preamp. It is nice to be able to go from an all tube system to a hybrid with the Class D. 

My Luxman CL-38uC preamp and my Red Dragon 500 mono-blocks sound wonderful together.

I have used two hybrid integrated amplifiers in my second system:

1. Rogue Sphinx v3
2. Heaven 11 Billie v2 (current)

Speakers have been:  Zu Omen Monitors; Golden Ear BRX (current)

Sources are:  PS Audio SACD Transport; PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC; Technics SL 1500c TT.  

I like the system, don't quite love it.  It sounds very good and is perfectly fine, it just doesn't move me the way my main system does, which doesn't have components that are that much better.  

I know speaker set-up is part of the issue (on top of 5 foot high bookshelves).  I think the answer is an all tube amp, though I have been very distracted the last year or so.

Rich 

I use an Aric Audio Super 6sn7 linestage with an Orchard Audio Starkrimson Ultra. 

I have a Schiit Freya+ preamp with 6SN7 tubes feeding a PS Audio S300 class D amp into Harbeth 30.2 XD Speakers and a REL T/5x Sub. I like it.

I have an Atma-Sphere MP-3.3 tube preamp pushing Atma-Sphere Class D mono blocks and they're glorious. All the beauty of my previous Atma-Shpere M-60 amps without the 12 tube-per-monoblock paranoia. Speakers are Zu Druid Vs, not hard to drive at all but loving the headroom provided by 50 watts.

Macintosh 12000 tube/ ss pre hybrid,either ss or tube.mcintosh class d mi1502 500 watt/ 1000 hypex class d with good synergism.enjoy the music.

I have a system with a tube preamp (ProJect Pre Box RS2, selectable tube stage) and a Class D Purifi amp (NAD 298). It is a very good combination.

I recently bought a Marantz PM10 for my summer home, but had it shipped to me at my Florida home first to check it out.  The PM10 was used in lieu of my Conrad-Johnson ART 27A which is Class A, and I used my C-J ART 88 as the line stage.  My speakers in the system are Sony SS-AR2, which have a rated efficiency of 89 db at 1 meter and are a fairly easy load.  So the PM10 was not driven very hard, but in terms of sound quality it acquitted itself very well.  The PM10 line preamp section did not compare as well and so I did not bother to compare the phono stages.  The ART Phono is one of the great phono stages.  When I took the PM10 up to it's permanent home and connected it to B&W 802 Diamonds it worked much harder, but also sounded quite good.  This has been my first experience with Class D amps outside of subs and it has been very satisfactory.  A good tube pre connected to a Class D power amp can be a winning combination. 

I had ARC sp16 and Bel Canto ref1000m monoblocks for many happy years. Moved on to newer Class D and dropped the tubes.

It was a very”musical” combo I could listen to for hours, but slightly rolled off high and low end extension, and slightly limited dynamics air and detail.

I have had a pair of ADG Class D monoblocks in my system. My preamp is an Audio Research Reference 6SE. I was really impressed at the  sound for the money. 

One thing, I will say, that when you take out one piece of equipment with a very synergistic system... that one piece tends to sound as good as it ever could. So I had all Audio Research electronics a substituted just the amp. 

But sounded great for the ~$9K