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

greg7

I've used a Don Sach Model 2 preamp with an old 

Carver TFM-35. Sounded really great. 

Never heard a tubed preamp / ss amp that sounded soggy. I ran a Audio Research Ref 5SE with a Pass x350 for many years. No song, sounded good, But of course replacing the Pass x350 with an ARC Ref 160s tubed  amp put the whole system on a much higher plane… no song here either.

I Have used ss pre and power for years and years and....recently decided to give tubes a try.

Was using a krell pre and krell 2250 power amp plenty of current to drive my tannoy D700s

So got the chance of an Audio Research Ref3 pre (new tubes) and all I can say is should have done it years and years and .....you get the drift.

The Krell combo was dynamic and detailed but the Ref3 has transformed my whole listening experience to another level; more live sounding, engaging, without loosing any dynamics or detail....wonderful !!  

Let's frame this question another way.  Other than when there is an impedance mismatch between them, are there any other circumstances under which a tube preamp + SS amp combo will not work well?

McIntosh MC500 and C2300 tube preamp. Also an Mx110z and MC30s both of which are tubes. A tube amp and preamp doesn’t necessarily produce the results you’re are referring.