It has been years since I have done any critical comparative listening between components and I am at a bit of a loss as to where to start component-wise in terms of upgrading.

When I purchased the Llano Trinity 100, Randy White recommended replacing the stock Sovtek tubes with Telefunken smooth plates, which I intend to do in the next couple of weeks.

GIGA (garbage-in garbage-out) might suggest upgrading the DAC, but then again, the Deluxe Line Drive has to be at least 15 years old (I am the original owner).

And of course there are always tweaks like selling a cable/interconnect to buy a better and more expensive one.

This system is integrated in with my home theater. The nice thing about the line drive is that setting the gain all the way up, I effectively have an HT pass-through. If I were to upgrade the preamp, it would be nice to have an HT pass-through and perhaps remote volume control.

I listen to a wide variety of material. And while I am quite happy with my current system, more detail and air without edginess, and better soundstaging is always welcome. Even though I have a passive preamp and a 100 watt per channel amp, I am satisfied with the volume the system produces 99% of the time.

With some exceptions, I prefer buying highly regarded used equipment rather than new stuff. I am basically looking for suggestions on the order of a kilobuck. With the exception of the Wilson Benesch speakers, nothing in the sytem has cost more than that.