I beleive that, as posted by a previous reviewer, a tube preamp with the McCormack is a fine system. I have a Sonic Frontiers preamp with the latest generation McCormack DNA-125 and it's a beautifull match. I had all kinds of very expensive mega-buck all-tube systems in the past 20 years. I dont agree that once you tried tubes you can never go back. Tubes have sweet sounds and have colorations, and if it sounds ok to you then it's a good buy. But tube power amps are a pain to own and use, and expensive when fitted with higher quality brands or NOS (new old stock) tubes.It made me sick to shell out $ 500.00 for a pair of tubes only to have it's internal coutdown start towards the day when I would have to replace them-again. Preamp tubes are virtually no-brainers for their sound and non-existent maintenance. They are truly worry free and inexpensive. And in my case, it's a fine sounding combination. They say once you own tubes you cannot go back? Hell, I went forward !!!! All of this is academic for me anyways as I will be selling my Sonic-McCormack combo soon to venture into home cinema. I will loose on the quality of audio reproduction, and I will miss the sweet audiophile sound, but what can I say...my upcoming 56" SONY screen will be begging for adequate sound, and I cannot afford two systems....Regards, hope this was of help to you.
