If you are buying from Upscale, last I checked he still had some of those Popes from Holland 6SN7's. They are phenomenal.
I hate to throw a wrench into the discussion; but I didn't like the SLP-98 with the 805's (the ones I heard it with were the AE's). Too much constriction, IMHO. I heard a Heron Audio VTSP-2 replace it (the 805AE/98L combo was in the reference system at a no-longer-in-business hi fi store here in Phoenix) and it was much better. On a side note, the SLP-05 was better suited to the 120S or 211 (run balanced). It made the 805's magic midrange a bit sterile sounding.
Some linestages I'd consider are the Dehavilland Ultraverve or even the Antique Sound Lab Flora. Both are awesome. Open and neutral; but tube neutral.
The F1 upgrades would make the 98 faster and more neutral; but I doubt they would remove the slight constriction issue.
I hate to throw a wrench into the discussion; but I didn't like the SLP-98 with the 805's (the ones I heard it with were the AE's). Too much constriction, IMHO. I heard a Heron Audio VTSP-2 replace it (the 805AE/98L combo was in the reference system at a no-longer-in-business hi fi store here in Phoenix) and it was much better. On a side note, the SLP-05 was better suited to the 120S or 211 (run balanced). It made the 805's magic midrange a bit sterile sounding.
Some linestages I'd consider are the Dehavilland Ultraverve or even the Antique Sound Lab Flora. Both are awesome. Open and neutral; but tube neutral.
The F1 upgrades would make the 98 faster and more neutral; but I doubt they would remove the slight constriction issue.