This has been a long evolutionary process. The goals are soundstaging and excitement over a wide range of musical genres with relatively nearfield listening.
I highly suggest you take a look at the Bogdan cables that are advertised on audiogon. I got the speakercables and interconnects with copper bullet plugs. They blew away all my other cables which I've all sold in the past month. They are good and CHEAP.
One speaker that I am really curious about, and it is very tube friendly, is the Audio Note series speakers. There is one for sale along with the OTO integrated amp on Audiogon now.
Other speakers that are tube friendly I would recommend for you are, of course, Tannoys with the dual concentric drivers and Proac Tab Sigs.
Long time no talk. I am actually doing something similar but different. My current amp is the CA50, which I just learned, it is a integrated amp with tube power and solid state pre. I am trying to move away from the CA50 and get a solid state amp and connecting the CD, which has attenuation, directly.
I've purchased two power amps, so far, and still comparing the three and, eventually, will come to a conclusion.
I know for ergonomics advantages, I'd rather have a tube pre and solid state power amp since power tubes uses up more wattage and has shorter tube life.
