It has always been my opinion that mating a tube preamp with a solid state amp of the same company typically provides the best synergy. I have experienced this with both Audio Research and McIntosh n the past.
Tube Preamps that work well with SS amps?
I'm looking for a tube preamp after years of strictly SS. My amps will remain SS. Which tube preamp(s) in your experience mated well with a SS amp? I'm trying to avoid the odd phenomenon where tube preamp + SS amp = slow, soggy sound in spite of benign impedance characteristics