If I'm looking for "Tube Sound", why would I put a Tube Pre in front of a SS amp?

Atmashere, Nelson Pass and John Curl are not the best SS designers in the world. You forgot Rasmussen of Gryphon and also some other European designers. Besides, Vladimir Shushurin of Lamm makes hybrid power amps that are in essense SS.
You keep making incorrect statements from time to time.

Atmasphere I have ARC tube pre-amp and Bel Canto ref1000m amps in my main system and newer BelCanto c5i digital Class D integrated amp in my second. They each sound quite different. The c5i in particular is smooth as silk with no edge or irritation whatsoever even when used with my Dynaudio monitors which can have a bit of a natural edge to them. The only fault I can find with it is the 60 watts do well but only go so far. It’s a fabulous device in a small reasonably affordable package overall.  Also has phono and serves well as a headphone amp with similar qualities. 

Inna 9-28-2016
Atmashere, Nelson Pass and John Curl are not the best SS designers in the world. You forgot Rasmussen of Gryphon and also some other European designers. Besides, Vladimir Shushurin of Lamm makes hybrid power amps that are in essense SS.
You keep making incorrect statements from time to time.

Inna, note that he didn’t say "the best SS designers in the world." He said "two OF THE BEST solid state designers in the world" [emphasis added]. IMO that categorization is indisputable, and is not negated by the fact that many of their designs were intentionally implemented to a lower price point than most or all of the products of the other manufacturers you mentioned.

Regards,
-- Al

I might’ve misread it, Al.
If so, my apologies, Ralph.

@atmasphere 

Hi Ralph. To your point " What tubes do better than transistors is not make higher ordered harmonic distortions to which the ear is very sensitive and also perceives as irritating. That's not a matter of opinion its a simple fact and not a matter of debate."

I recall reading a number of articles on the Internet that indicate that while audiophile grade equipment seeks to avoid the distortion you are speaking of, other audio equipment such as some guitar amps seek to embrace it. So for the lay person like myself, while what you have indicated is very likely if not completely true in most cases, it seems conceivable that it may not be true in all cases. Meaning, while most people may perceive those higher end harmonics as irritating, I'd venture to say there are those that welcome it to some degree or another.