For tube sound, which is more important: preamp or power amp?


I have always loved the “tube sound” - warmth, midrange, soundstage. Through the years (since about 1975), I have owned many tube and solid state amps and preamps, in various combinations. Presently, I have a tube amp and a solid state preamp. But like most of you, I am thinking of making changes, again.  Not to cloud the discussion, the specific brands are not important.  I also listen to acoustic music, females vocals, love mini monitors, EL34s, NOS tubes, and don’t care that much about bass.  So you can see that my taste fits the tube sound very well. But I have had systems that are too warm, not enough dynamics or details, and fat in the low end, too.

okay, now to the discussion.  To produce the tube sound, which is more important: the preamp or the power amp?  Let’s talk in general, and (if possible? May not be) not tied to one specific piece/brand/model of equipment.  I know there are exceptions to any general rule.  Not sure if it makes a difference to your comments, but I have no phono and am running line stage only.

As an attempt to prevent the conversation as going in a big tangent, let’s assume equality of price/quality. i.e. not comparing a $10k power amps contribution to a system to that of a $1k preamp.  Let’s also assume that the amp (tube or solid state) can drive the speakers just fine, such that compatibility does not limit the decision. And ignore mono blocks versus stereo amp differences.  

two follow ons: I have  the perception that preamps give you more bang for the buck - meaning that it takes less money to get a great tube preamp compared to a great tube amp.  Agree/disagree? And second, I have never owned a tube dac or CD player, and will assume that tubes in either of these is less critical than in a preamp or power amp. Agree/disagree?

i am interested in your thoughts.

Bill
meiatflask
Which is more important - you ask? 

It’s kinda like ice cream, it's about different flavors and what you like in the end. I was an all solid state owner for too long. Should have tried tube preamps sooner than I did several decades later. Today, I keep my tube Cary SLP-98 TUBE Pre-amp running 100% of the time as my front-end. And, now swap out a Cary V12R (12) EL34 Triode/Ultralinear TUBE amp for a Cary SA-200.2 SOLID STATE amp every once in a while. While the tube amp is glorious and lush, when I swap back to the solid state amp periodically - it brings another dimension of dynamics at times. In either case, I would have a very hard time going back to a solid state preamplifier though. Really like having a tube preamp on the front-end; particularly when each of the back-end amplifier types are specifically designed to work with a particular tube pre-amplifier. More "important" is finding a good "match" between any preamp or amplifier (tube or SS) as I learned the hard way through trial-and-error. Good luck.
For maximum 2nd order harmonic distortion (and since I mostly use a passive preamp), my answer would be tube power amp.

I think this is a false question.  There is a great deal of variation between tube preamps and power amps.  And let's not forget that tube power amps need to be paired with the right loudspeakers as well.  

I run a multi-amplified loudspeaker that calls for 8 channels at 60 wpc, which is prohibitively expensive using tubes, not to mention the cost in air conditioning.  So I run an Aikido design tube preamp and just enjoy listening.
tube preamps can add some degree of tube sound and frequency response. 
tube power amplifiers deliver the bulk of the tube sound especially the large vivid sound stage.   

ranking in terms of preference-

all tube based system
tube power amp / solid state preamp
tube preamp / solid state power amp