Thank you both for the honest feedback.
I might have to disagree with the tube/Class D combo. Over the past few years, a good number of our preamps went to customers running Class D based amplifiers. While obviously not eeveyones preference, the market for this combination does seem to be growing as Class D amps become much better and become more popular.
Either you'll tolerate the obsolete tubes for the sound, or you want energy savings and low impedance and modern technology, in class D
I can understand this reasoning when it come to amplifiers but many tube preamps are not current hungry heat monsters. Now.it is becoming more about the sound.