Yeah, I've heard many people say that using two tube components in the same chain can be overly soft, squishy, or tubey. But then again, there are many people who use many tube-based components in the same system and can't get enough of it. Personally, I find the combo of a tube pre and a solid-state amp to be beautiful, enchanting - I will at some point revisit tubes by getting a good tube pre. Enjoy the FrankenDACbuffer...