New H20 Signature S250

Help! In reading back over all of the discussions and reviews on Henry's amplifiers, it appears that the best synergies have been found with tubed preamps. Is that true or am I just reading something into it that really isn't there? I've just ordered the S 250 sig. and discussed the same question briefly with Henry. I'm not really a tube lover, but prefer the more neutral sound of most good SS preamps. Having said that, I'm a bit concerned with the recent comments made in the 6 moons review relating to there "lack of texture." I realize that the reviewer is a confirmed tube lover and that may just have been his way of stating the obvious differences between tubes and SS. In any event, what used SS or tubed preamp in your opinion would best get me to where I want to go? My speakers are the Von Schweikert VR 4 HSE and I will most likely be using the Sim Audio Eclipse SE, as my source. Thanks in advance for your assistance.

Lloydf, my experience in using both a SS preamp and tube preamp with SS amps, a tube amp and digital switching amps is that the tube preamp adds a touch of three dimensionality and "life" to the presentation of SS and digital switching amps that is otherwise lacking. This is not an overwhelming change, but a change that can be heard, nonetheless.

Lloyd, You found the one seemingly ambiguous line in the whole review. The
writing went like this,

"Tubes create a certain texture which these amps don't. Tubes can be
very transparent but to my ears, it's a transparency modified in different
frequency bands and modulated by certain layering and soundstaging effects.
The latter are highly addictive ( consider me a major addict). But they are
effects. They simply do not ever arise in real life."

The H2O will not add any effects, good or bad, to the recording. It just excels
on digging out the deepest nuances of the recording. I find that much more
addicting.

I believe a little bit of tubes is a good thing. My DAC has tubes. My preamp is
a class A solid state.

LLoydf, my comments above regarding my impression of the H20 signature were based on using an Audio Research Reference II tubed preamp.

I still think/suspect I just didn't have the right cables and that what made my interaction with the H2O not work for me at this time. I think it's a great amp anyway. Now that has to be some sort of odd statement. My tubes, in comparison, aren't as exciting.