i have good results w/a s/s fonostage & a tubed linestage. i don't know all the technical reasons for why this may work, but i suspect it has someting to do w/the fact that the minute electric signals of a fono-stage are inherently easier to control w/solid-state electronics. of course, there *are* exceptional tubed fono-stages, but at extreme cost & complexity. gordon rankin, of wavelength audio fame, a bone-fide toob-head, has come out w/a hybrid toob-s/s fono-stage. he said, for some of these small signals, s/s is easier to consistently regulate. for me, i get all of the tube-glow from *all* my sources, including the fono, from my preamp.
doug s.