tubed preamp off and ss amp left on?

I can't figure out the possible reason for your hum, but be patient. There will be a 'goner that will set you free. Fortunately (shortens my waiting time for optimum sound) my SET rig has a standby/idle feature on both the amp and the pre. The amp is good to go after the 845s have 30 minutes on them and the pre just has to wait for the amp/845s to catch up. Idle would be a nice feature on all tube pre amps and amps.

Hm, some say that turning tubepre off and on is what kills the tubes prematurely.... preamps differ significantly in regards to how long their tubes last, where some reportedly should be turned off, others not. Knowing what your preamp is might help with answers. My tubes have been on for a year, and going strong (ECC 82).

Set your volume to maximum low and turn off your amp first and wait for a minute or two and then turn off your pre-amp.Result will be dead quiet.

Funny, I had posted a similar question a few weeks ago, having come back to seperates after over 20 years. If the volume is down on the preamp, should it matter which you shut off first? Nowhere in my amp or preamp manual does it say to be certain to shut off first or last. I think volume down on the pre is the answer?

I had the same issue with a given combination of components, and never really resolved it. My preamp had mute, volume down, etc - all these things didn't stop the hum when the amp was on and the pre was off. Also, this didn't occur on all amps, just one. And that one amp didn't have the problem with other pre's. I really don't know. Have you tried floating the ground on various components? Unplug all the sources from your pre and see if the hum goes away. Then float the ground on your pre with a cheater and see the same thing. Please let us know what works, if you find it.

Best, Peter