Once again...looking for a "tube like" SS preamp

Good luck Lp newbie, I've never heard any ss pre that can do what you are looking for. You will get everything top to bottom so far as clarity and dynamics but you will never find the characteristics that tubes get and ss doesn't, presence and tonal density. At least I have never heard a ss pre come close. Why not a tube preamp, it can't be so difficult can it?

"The last time I counted, there were "eleventy eleven dozen" SS pre's that sounded "tubelike". Are there any SS pre's left that sound SS. The logic of buying a SS pre that sounds "tubelike" eludes me. I'm sure there are many who can enlighten me in regard to this matter."

Orpheus10 I'm sure your question is rhetorical but please let me make a stab at the REAL question and concern :)

"I want a ss preamp that has the harmonic richness, 3d palpability, believability factor, being drawn into the performance just like I hear with tubes but I don't want tubes, I want the plug and play convenience of ss. I DON'T want to deal with the hassle of tubes including wondering when the tubes are not operating at specifications, when to change, what tubes to use, my perception that they are just too much maintenance. Now please tell me what ss preamp to buy"

It is my experience that the best tube preamps can do EVERYTHING a great ss preamp can do, but the best ss preamp can't do what ALL tube preamps can even at the budget end of the spectrum, let you know that tubes are in the circuit for better or worse. The electrical characteristics of the two devices are different. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. If you don't want to hassle with tubes, get a ss preamp. If you love the sound that tubes present, get a tube preamp. I don't see any middle ground on this issue. There are some very nice ss preamps out there, make your choice and live with it but never the two shall be the same. If you want to lessen your exposure to tubes but want "tube sound" better to go tube preamp and ss amp.

Oh ah, nevermind newbie!:)

and Orpheus, have you checked out your tubes lately? You might be missing something that you don't even realize. With all that tube gear, if you don't have one, invest a couple hundred in a tester. No I haven't had any problems with tubes and I guess I assumed to much with LP newbie's response. I was painting an often repeated objection to tubes in this forum over the years, this one is a first for me.! Good luck newbie with your search.

I hear you Orpheus but I want to be sure I'm getting what I'm paying for. You can easily purchase tubes that sound great but may not measure up, its happened to me numerous times over the years unless you purchase from trusted dealers. Even one "repudable" well known dealer I purchased from sold me 4 small "NOS" dual triodes that went south in less than 2 years, all of them, we're not talking a hot circuit here either. I have numerous brands of this type in my catche with nary a problem and some still in the amp testing very strong after 6 years continuous use. Unfortunately this dealer came highly recommended so I didn't test prior to installation. I've never made that mistake again. Yes your ears can tell you plenty but a tester can tell you if you're getting what you're paying for so far as electrical parameters. Optimal performance requires testing periodically, trust me on this, you sometimes don't realize what you're missing until it becomes quite obvious, your hearing becomes acclimated.