Next step: tube pre or tube power amp?

One more time, a tube pre will give you the advantage of tubes without the heat and cost of a tube power. BUT, tube pre's aren't cheap. At least, get a tube DAC if CD's are your main source of input.

ive owned tubed pre's with SS amps and tubed amps with SS pre's, and even tube cdp's. IME, tube amps are the way to go for truly 'tubed' sound.

09-12-09: Jw94055
One more time, a tube pre will give you the advantage of tubes without the heat and cost of a tube power.

One more time, a tube pre is a good starting point and will give you some tube flavor. A tube amp will provide more tube sonic traits. It all depends how far you are willing to go, and for some, it is the wrong direction.

Cheers,
John

A tube pre is the best start. Tube power amps are hot and expensive. In order to get the best out of a tube amp you will need to roll tubes, and that can get quite expensive.

Orpheus10, I don't disagree that a tube preamp may be the best way to start, to see if one likes the tube sound.

However, your second statement makes no sense to me. One could say the exact same thing about a tube preamp, that to get the best out of it you will need to roll tubes......that also can get quite expensive, in many cases more expensive than rolling power tubes.

My preamp tubes are more expensive than my amp tubes, because I notice that rolling preamp tubes makes more of a sonic difference than rolling amp tubes.