Amen to a SS amp and tube preamp. To my ears, the reason for a tube preamp is its rounded sound seems more natural and the soundstage is deeper than I have found with all solid state. As for the power amp, SS amps seem faster to me. I have also owned all tube systems and hybrid amps, but the tube/SS combo seems most satisfying. I first discovered this combo with an Audio Research Reference 3 preamp and a McIntosh MC150 power amp feeding Sonus Faber Cremona Ms--the most musical system I have ever owned. Uncanny three dimensional imagery and a musically engaging presentation that was addictive. I now have a Schitt Freya+ feeding a McIntosh MC122 and Tannoy Revolution XT8F speakers. The Schitt does have some hiss at idle through the 91dB efficient Tannoys, but it is inaudible with music playing. Otherwise the Freya+ is astounding: solid placement of instruments in three-dimensional space is downright startling at first; it has little "tube warmth" (maybe even too little?) though I'm after a more neutral sound. Klipsch speakers are different animals than the speakers I've owned so I couldn't say what might be best, but trying the Schitt with their 15 day trial would certainly be worth the effort.
