I've done it with both a Copland CTA-301 and a Copland CTA-305, and later a Quad QC-24 pre-amp feeding a YBA-1 power amp. It's fine, better than an SS pre-amp in my view. But it doesn't sound like tubes. Eh? What do I mean?
Well, I find a tube pre-amp gives me more of the sound—more nuance, more musicality and more rhythm. It's all there whichever power amp I use. But tube power amps add that extra tube sound (yes, maybe distortion, maybe not) that I prefer. At the end of the day, you go ahead and listen to what you enjoy the most and ignore what the rest of us say. The listening is the important part!