Tube pre sspwramp vs sspre tubepwr

I think most people like to have at least some tubes in their system. I prefer all tubes. Although I have tried both ways you are asking about, if you have to have anything solid state, I have found a SS preamp with tube amps was preferreable over the reverse. Hope this does not start some sort of huge war.

Jtinn: I had good luck with this combo as well. This was older gear and the SS preamp introduced less noise to the tube amp than the tube preamp did. It would player louder and cleaner.

the 2 previous posts are correct,tubed pre with a SS amp is the way to go in my opinion.

I think you'll find as many people in one camp as the other. My experience has been that the "realness" (for lack of a better word) I find characteristic of tube equipment seems to come more from the amps than from anything further up the chain. However, I have heard some wonderful systems that paired tube preamps/DACs with SS amplifiers (ARC LS-25 + ARC 100.2 comes to mind), so there can be some magic there as well. I think it depends on what you're looking for. Personally, I'm a bit torn between the two. I tend to prefer the sound of tube amps with classical and folk music, but I like the speed and punch of SS for rock and jazz. My tastes mostly lean towards the former, so for me (for the time being) its tubes all around.

I heard this discussed many times over the past few years, and from what I can tell there is no clear answer to which is better. I think it ends up being one of personal taste

Cheers,
Ken

The ARC 100.2 is tube amp.

.......nope, the ARC 100.2 is a 100 wpc solid state amp-- check at www.audioresearch.com Craig

Sc53: You're thinking of the VT100 mkII, which is a tube amp. As Garfish mentions, the 100.2 is its solid state counterpart.

Sorry, you're right! My mistake. I wonder if the SS 100.2 sounds as good or even similar to the VT100 Mk II or III?
I have the VT100 but have never heard the SS 100.2.

i presently am happy w/a toobed pre & s/s amps. i can't afford a toobed amp that gives no quarter to solid-state amps where solid-state excels. much as i like the air that toobs impart into a soundstage, it takes big bucks to get a toob amp w/the frequency extension, accuracy & drive that s/s amps have, & that, i can't do w/o.

likewise, i can't afford a solid-state preamp that gives no quarter to toob pre's, where *they* excel. plenty of toobed pre's that excel in areas where solid-state pre's excel - dynamics, frequency extension, accuracy - but few solid-state pre's that can give the air to a soundstage like a toobed pre, and it'll cost lotsa $$$...

ymmv, doug s.

sc53: The couple of times I've heard the 100.2, I thought it sounded excellent, and seemed to have the same ARC family sound as the VT-100. Unfortunately, I've never A/B'ed the two so its hard to compare, but empirically speaking, the 100.2 is a very good amp.
Ken