Tube vs SS Amp with a All Tube Preamp

I think with the 2Wq, any possible disadvantage of certain tube amps for producing bass is greatly diminished. You seem to have a good set up with your speakers for tubes.

Autodexr, what speakers do you plan on using? That has a lot to do with whether or not a tube amp makes sense for you. I agree with Newbee that if your speakers are tube friendly (basically a smooth impedance curve, and the higher the impedance the better)than I don't think you will find an SS amp that will sound as good overall as a tube amp; at least that is the case for my ears. I want to love an SS amp, and I've tried excellent ones (always with a tube preamp, occassionaly some passives), but ultimately no SS amp does for me what a tube amp does, most expecially OTLs - my ears, my taste. If you do go with an SS amp, you should at least try to get a Class A amp that tends to have a more "tube-like" sound signature (Pass Aleph amp for example).

Audphile1, your right, and at the same time I think it is possible to answer the general question. Assuming you can distinquish between the general sonic signature of tubes versus SS, does having a tube pre and amp get your more of the tube performance than what is generally possible by just using a tube pre amp with an SS amp. I'm not going to argue whether or not with some of the best equipment there is a convegence of the performance of tubes with SS and vice versa (I've not yet heard evidence of that, but some claim there is and perhaps it is so)- but as a general answer to a general question, I think Newbee's response at the start of thread is basically right, but of course with specific equipment and combinations the general "rule" might not apply - that is true. So yes, if you get a tube amp, there will generally be more "tubiness" than if you use a tube preamp with a SS amp IMHO. Now if the SS amp were a Pass Aleph, or Ayre VX1, perhaps less so.

Audphile 1, I generally agree with you.