Cary Audio: Tube preamp (SLP-98) paired with (SA-200.2) solid state amplifier?

Interconnect cable swaps: 

This Cary SLP-98L / SA-200.2 combo sure is sensitive to interconnect cable swaps. Brighter and more forward sound stage with good silver, softer and more gentle, different sound stage with good copper interconnects. Interesting.  Sounds even more "tube" like with Copper cables on this setup and my speakers, notably different in fact.  Less SS like with Copper interconnects. As soft and smooth on the mids and top end now compared to my former upgraded SLI-80 tube amp, but with much fuller sound and much more low end. Best of both worlds.    

My SLP-98L preamp does have a few upgrades to the main caps/hexfreds/volume control inside and 50s Sylvania NOS tubes makes it sound nicer than stock, for sure.   

Re-used my silver interconnects from my former Cary tube amp, and now at 200 hours just tried a cable swap back to copper cables. You can really tune the sound between these two components just with cable swaps on this combo. Made as much change as cap & tube swaps.  

Update: Wow, after 200 hours of break-in seems the Cary SA-200.2 (solid state amp) is sensitive to different interconnect cables and it can produce different sounds accordingly, soft or brighter but never harsh. As a result, I’ve been messing with swapping out recent silver / silver plated copper cables for the older legacy Cardas Golden Cross interconnects for sources and between my Cary SLP-98 and Cary SA-200.2 solid state amplifier. Once I started playing with different interconnects, now I actually like the sound of the SLP-98 tube pre and new SA-200.2 solid state amp combo better in some ways compared to my former upgraded Cary SLI-80 Signature which was nice. The newer SA-200.2 has a very full sound, great top end, and goes deep. Want more midrange? Trying some of the right Cardas or other cables you may like, you can bring out the midrange on the SA-200.2 to sound even more like some of the Cary tube amps for more of the Cary "house sound" as some people call it. Try different interconnects and see what happens. Results can vary from one system to the next and highly dependent on what speakers you are running and some people hear things differently of course. 

Removed the stock harsh sounding stock EH 6SN7s tubes, started rolling. Settled on a quad set of NOS Sylvania 6SN7GTs.

In the same manner as occurred with my heavily upgraded SLI-80 integrated tube amp, all of the sudden the veil came off the new Cary SLP-98L tube preamp and SA-200.2 amplifier. Instantly more open, airy, more lunch, FULL and DEEP sound with an extra tall and wide sound stage presented itself.

I never thought the stock tubes with the SLP-98 sounded "harsh". Suddenly today my system is sounding a little bit "harsh"--??

I'd be interested to know if you buy your own NOS Sylvania 6SN7GTs. At Tube Depot they're $189.95--EACH. Is that nuts--or are they really worth that?

I found a source who tucked away a collection of NOS tubes, and bought a sextet matched set to get four for the SLP-98 plus two spares. It's hard to explain what "worth that" or "better" is without knowing more about the rest of the system. I'd say if your amplifier and speakers are not revealing, maybe it might not be worth it.  If you notice changes with interconnects, maybe you'll see a difference with tubes - just a thought... no science, just trial/error... but here is what I did.  What I discovered is the tube and interconnect changes were more noticeable on my SLP-98 than my former SLI-80 integrated and other amps I've tried with my existing system and speakers.  I was sort of reserved starting out right after buying a brand new preamp, but a good friend with a very large tube collection let me borrow/try several different brands/types, and he was correct, these particular early 50s bottom getter NOS Sylvanias sounded really nice.  I also read some of the same type Raytheons are similar if not the same type of signature sound and can be had for less $.  There was an old magazine article floating around on that from the 80s people passed around that confirmed this too about the Raytheons. I still want to try some early RCAs too, just for grins.  Good luck.  

After five months of running the Cary V12R tube amp in Triode mode with recent cap upgrades to the new Mundorf Silver-Gold caps, I decided pull the V12R and put the SA-200.2 solid state amp back in rotation for a while. Wow, had forgotten how nice this combination is with the SLP-98L really are. The SA-200.2 amp in combo with the active tube preamp produces a HUGE sound stage, deep, wide, really open. If you like having a subwoofer in your system, the SA-200.2 moves fast and blends well with a good subwoofer.  yes, still liking the NOS Sylvania tubes in the preamp, and yes I’d say it’s worth it particularly now with them broken in it just makes the SA-200.2 amp sound that much better having tubes on the front end. Still liking this combo a lot, for anyone considering it, they were right to recommend it. They synergy of these two pieces is spot on particularly when the right interconnects get between these two components.  Now using Cardas Golden Cross RCAs.  Still detailed but has a quality sound.  After a good warm up, sounds very smooth.  Voices sound great too.