Difficult Choice


HI,
choosing a HI-FI from scrathc is a difficult exercise.
I'm asking for help.

I might get Lamm2.1 amps or Tenor 75i
i tried the hybrid amp from tenor and was very disappointed
I found it not as full and "real" than the 75i (kind of normal) but it was on the top "messy", lacking precision.
I was using a EMM Labs transport + Dac directly plugged in the amp + Kharma Grand Midi Ceramique
Very disappointing
I have to say that those EMM Labs did not impress me that much and I wonder if it is not better to use a preamp with them.

Kharma exquisite Midi seem to be a good choice even if it lacks some guts with the Tenor
A sub could be a solution but i did not try
I'm wondering if those VR9 Von S. are that much better than the Kharma
I'm interested to know as well what people think of
Sonus Faber Stradivari (do they work with SET)
Dynaudio Temptation (do they work with SET)
Pipedeams model 18
Audio Physics Caldera ?

More over, what preamp to use ?
There is a Audio Note on the offer but does it go well with
Lamm ?
What about the new ARC reference3 ?

Concerning the source, is the DCS suite that good ? I was not that impressed by the EMM Labs.

Thank you
dck
David,
Why not take a few days and come to NYC to audition a variety of equipment? Or a trip to Asia to do the same? Your sonic preferences as well as your music preferences will have much to do with what you ultimately choose in a system. You could very easily spend big money and end up with something that does not work for you. If you happen to have heard a particular sound or component that you liked, that would give people here some guidelines for making further recommendations.
All the best,
Howard
David_chouk, it would be more helpful if you can describe more of what you like to hear and what was lacking from systems you have heard.

here are my recommendations to audition:
jadis preamps and amps from France
acapella horns from Germany
jmlab grand utopia from France
technical audio devices (TAD) horns from Japan
reimyo cdp777 from Japan
zanden transport and dac from Japan
47 laboratory pitracer transport from Japan
meridian 800 series transports and processor from UK
b&w original nautilus (seashells) from UK
grand prix audio monaco equipment stand fom US
pagode master reference equipment stand from Germany

i am sure it would be a most pleasurable journey to hear these top gear. best of luck.
Linkster:

I probably overstated my case. The Reimyo is absolutely state of the art. There's no doubt about it. If it weren't for the EMM, I'd likely own it. (It was broken in for about 1,000 hours, BTW, when I got it, so break-in wasn't an issue.) In my system, and with my sonic priorities, I preferred the EMM, but I've talked to several people who liked the Reimyo better. IMO, it's just a matter of taste. It's pretty hard to go wrong with either player. Both represent the absolute best of what digital has to offer.
Guys, what do you think of the DCS total suite and the Accuphase DP100 and DC101... don't you think they deserve to be contenders ... moreover the Reimyo does not play SACDs