Yes, I was told, and I have seen it written, that a tube preamp and a solid state power amp is the way to go, especially for mixed-use rooms such as my home theater. In fact if you look at Mac’s website they recommend tubes for two channel music and solid state for theater applications. I don’t claim any expertise on the tube distortion thing, but for two channel music listening, I go through the Mac preamp and I am satisfied. But honestly I don’t hear much of a difference when I listen to two channel through my Trinnov. Either I am not discerning or the difference is not as great as we are led to believe.
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Yes, that’s perfectly fine. As long as you like the sound, pretty much anything goes. But still, here are a few more facts.
Do tube amplifiers distort audio sound?
Yes, tube amplifiers do distort audio sound, but this occurs in a way that many listeners find pleasant, “warm,” and musical.
Key points about tube distortion:
Characteristic distortion (harshness): Tubes predominantly produce even harmonics (k2, k4, etc.), which are perceived by the human ear as harmonious and “warm.” In contrast, transistors, when overdriven, tend to produce odd harmonics, which are often perceived as harsh.
Smooth overdrive behavior:
When tubes reach their power limits, “flattened” or clipped signal peaks occur, the edges are rounded off. This results in smooth compression, while transistors often distort abruptly and harshly (clipping).
“Tube sound”:
This specific type of distortion is often described as more organic, immersive, and lifelike.
Measurements vs. Perception:
Technically speaking, tubes distort more than modern transistor amplifiers. However, since this distortion is often perceived as pleasing, it’s not necessarily considered a quality defect, but rather part of the sonic character.
Conclusion:
Tubes distort (color) the sound (signal) instead of simply amplifying it linearly, but this distortion is an essential component of the prized “tube sound.”
You probably won’t be that demanding when it comes to sound. 
No, all joking aside.
The Mac tube amps are really well made.
But when I use bypass (TDAI 3400), I hear a difference compared to the tube. Well, I only have a 2x10W tube amp. Did you compare your Trinnow to the Mac with bypass or room calibration?
Boris, you’re impossible to fool. You know a lot, or at least you read up on it.
Yes, I think they used to be called Advance Acoustic and specialized in loudspeakers. But I don’t know if the devices fell apart before they arrived at your place. Anyway, AP was completely restructured. AP sells in the States and has good sales.
Looks awesome, but… No on-board storage for my library.
Right now, it looks like the Naim Uniti Star is the only device in nearly the same price range. Everything else is upwards of $5k.
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What do you think of this?
https://hidden-audio.de/product/nad-m10-v3-5-jahre-garantie-1017748/?utm_source=idealo
Why do you need a CD drive? You can buy that separately. This one has room correction, but I don’t know if it’s the full version of Dirac Live. Or go all out (save up) and get the NAD M33 V2. Okay, there are cheaper options: the new Lyngdorf TDAI 2210 with PoomPerfect room correction, or if you need something bigger, the 3400, which has everything except a CD drive.
I rip my CDs with an external drive and save them to my hard drive. I stream via Roon with Qobuz or Tidal, sometimes one of them. Currently, Qobuz is too expensive for me, so I’ve switched to Tidal. For my music needs, Tidal offers a little more choice.
But my examples don’t match your stated price expectations, sorry.
Truth be told, I ended up busting my budget on electronics. When I first started planning the theater I was going to get the top of the line Marantz AV preamp. Then I put the plans on hold for several years. When I restarted I was encouraged to get the Trinnov instead. It cost way more than I wanted to spend AND I had never heard of it. Turns out it is a wonderful machine and takes room correction to another level. Thing was it had no analog stage and I wanted a turntable. I thought it was stupid to convert analog to digital and back to analog, so I got the Mac C2800 which has a home theater passthru feature. I am very happy with it. And like I said I don’t often listen to two channel music through the Trinnov, but I almost am willing to bet I would be hard pressed to determine a difference between it and the Mac. I need someone like VIK to help me set up a blinded study.
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Looks awesome, but no onboard storage for my library. And no CD drive.
I want these things because I want these things and will pay for them. It is that simple.
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Since when do you need a good product for that? 
That’s right, Boris. I can sell junk in the States too!
But here’s a little comparison I’ve researched regarding the failures of AP and Rose.
AP:
User reports and specialist forums paint a mixed picture, with particular criticism of quality control (QC) and the longevity of certain components.
Key points regarding reliability and failures:
High return rate reported:
Some retailers and users in European forums report a generally higher return rate compared to other brands.
Problems with CD drives:
There are reports of failures of slot-loading CD drives in older models (X-series), which have been described as having rather simple construction.
Overheating:
Some models, such as the A10 Classic, can get very hot and, with insufficient ventilation (e.g., in cramped storage), can lead to unexpected shutdowns.
Connections:
There are occasional reports of fragile coaxial connectors that can break under stress.
Service & Warranty:
In Germany, service is provided by Ried Service GmbH. The warranty period for electronics is 2 years.
Positive Feedback:
Despite the criticisms, many users praise the price-performance ratio, features, and sound of the devices, especially the A10/A12 series.
In summary, Advance Paris devices are known for their extensive features, but there are increasing reports of failures related to overheating or drive problems.
HR:
Reports in user forums (here) indicate that there were periods of increased problems, particularly with high-end models (such as the RS130) and after software updates, sometimes with reports of “50+% failures” in certain batches or for specific users.
Here are the key findings from user experiences and reviews:
Software Stability:
This is the most frequent point of criticism. Users report glitches, a sluggish app (RoseConnect), and problems after firmware updates.
Hardware Defects:
There are isolated reports of devices that were defective right out of the box (DOA - Dead on Arrival) or where the display or mainboard fails.
RS130 Reliability:
With the top-of-the-line RS130 model, there have been reports of malfunctioning mainboards and displays, with support offering repairs or replacements.
Improvement Over Time:
It is reported that initial bugs in older models such as the RS150B were largely resolved through updates.
Alternatives:
Some users find the software less polished compared to competitors like Eversolo.
Conclusion:
While many users are very satisfied, HiFi Rose seems to be struggling with teething problems in new models and software updates, which can lead to above-average dissatisfaction in forums.
Note:
Forum reports are often subjective and more frequently reflect problems than smooth functionality. 
I’ve also noticed this a lot when reading everything in the forum. There are owners who ask questions that, in my opinion, should be basic knowledge to operate such a machine!
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Thanks but please, no!!! We got enough junk of our own!!! 
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The logic behind the tube pre-amp and the solid state amp is that you still get the 2nd order distortion from the tube, (coloration) but the amp power is clean and you can get more power to drive less efficient speakers without overheating your room. [@Bonte that’s the distortion people tend to want.]
And even w tubes, depending on the design you can get different amounts of output and also differences in terms of sound. But getting class A tube amps to go over 60wpc is very expensive, where as solid state is cheaper, and runs cooler.
You can find companies that take the Pufi amps and use a tube input stage. to get that coloration.
Alternatively OA announced an upgrade kit/board that allows for swapping op-amps to help get a change in output. (Yes Boris op-amps do sound different. )
Interestingly enough. Ed of Old Guy Hifi hated the sound of ESS chip based amps. But recently he’s changed his mind. Its not just the DAC chip, but what’s around it.
So while the GaN amp offers a cleaner sound that others… (Even here YMMV depending on design) in the AIOs your DAC is going to be what will give color to the sound.
Orchard Audio has a pair of their Starcrimson amps going around the US on a user listening tour.
Eric of Not an Audio Review Channel (I think that the name of his channel) currently has them and is putting them thru its paces.
Unfortunately the RS520 is getting a bit ‘long in the teeth’ and not old enough to be legacy gear.
It would be interesting if Rose made a more modular AIO where the different components were on different boards. (You see this kind of thing in other amps that offer expansion boards.)
So you could have an AKM board over the ESS DAC or an R2R as an option. A phono stage even…
But I do like the idea of being able to have a second speaker channel option and/or XLR outs and in.
And room correction could be interesting, although many are now saying some aren’t worth it.
BT 6.0 w aptx lossless (Yes Boris there are now companies offering it) And built in wi-fi 6.0 or 7.0
If they are broken, sure.
That’s because GAN offers no audio benefit whatsoever, but the design around it definitely can affect the sound, if it is incompetent enough.
There are far easier and more compatible ways of throwing Red Book resolution around.
Boris there you go showing your ignorance while trying to act like the smurtest guy in the room.
Amir did his flawed test on ASR. But his test was testing the wrong thing.
I suggest you try to find a recent YT video by Eric his channel is ‘Not an Audio Review Channel’
Here is a link to the video
Amir has a EE degree, yet his work showed he did a little hands on before moving into a management role and ended as a mid tier manager at Microsoft. (No hands on EE work)
Of course I bet you think that all capacitors of the same value sound the same too.
What a maroon.
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Lol…
Sorry Mikey, but I have to agree with Boris once again. We’re in a forum for a certain hi-fi brand here, not in a psychiatric or psychotherapeutic consultation or examination.
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It must be tough when your entire life revolves around Amir (one of multitides) pointing out that you are a clueless clown…
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Boris you’re yet again going to get the stream shut down.
Typical for you.
It is not my fault that you are digging to the bottom trying to find some place, somewhere on the internet, where someone would be willing to feed your delusions of grandeur.
Interesting how you are the only person here going on and on and on and on about ASR and Amir. Yeah, we know, it hurts that you got dunked in the dirt there, too, but this is something you should be working out with your therapist.
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