Amp Upgrade Path?


Or maybe the question should be: What am I missing? I'm relatively new to the tube world. About a year and a half ago I bought a used Rogue CM1 (KT120 power tubes) and have steadily upgraded sources and cables....and enjoying it very much.
I'm at what I guess I would call full circle again...meaning my sources are here to stay for the immediate near future and I'm back to thinking speakers and amps.
As I gather, different power tubes have different sonic signatures and I just don't have a reference to what that means.
Is a Prima Luna better then a CM1?
maybe an Air Tight?
And then there is configuration: Power amp with a preamp? Mono Blocks and a preamp?....or stay with an integrated.....
The major short fall of the CM1 (imho) was the phono stage. This was corrected by a EAR 834P mm/mc phono stage. Analog source is a Nottingham 294 Space deck w/ a Lyra cart....w/ Acoustic Zen Matrix interconnects - thank you Audiogon  for getting me there.
Thanks for all recommendations
Budget: let's say 5K new or used
 

smaarch1

Showing 4 responses by smaarch1

Totem Hawk.... I really enjoy them
what would you suggest to head into the mono block world?

@russ69 thanks for your response and I completely agree
A friend has offered a sub and I think I need to hear the effects of this first as well as acoustically cleaning up this space. Thank you

and thanks @ghdprentice . I need to re-read your response and understand it better at a technical level before replying, none the less - thank you very much