How make my Ayre system "warmer"?

That's some really fine equipment you have there, Tje. But perhaps most or all of it is too consistently in the direction of being analytical, revealing, and neutral. Overall, perhaps too much of a good thing.

Along the lines of what some of the others have suggested, I think that addressing cables, power cords, etc., would not provide the significant change that you are seeking. I would look into supplementing your Linn player with a quality tube cd player -- use the Linn for dvd's, etc., and a tube cd-only or sacd + cd player for audio-only material. That should be a way of really making a difference, for modest cost.

I have had no exposure to it, but the Doge 6 looks very intriguing to me, for modest cost: http://www.pacificvalve.us/DOGE6.html

Regards,
-- Al

I am pretty much in agreement with the preceding comments about warmth. But I would add that lack of "warmth" (or what the original poster describes as sound that is a bit too "lean" or "clean), could also be thought of as lacking in what I would call "richness."

Which in turn suggests addressing the harmonic structure of the system's response, not just the frequency response. Meaning, very conceivably, increasing the amount of even-order harmonic distortion. Just what adding a tube-based cd player or other tube component would do, as several of us have suggested.

Regards,
-- Al

Tubes don't add distortion until they are driven to distortion. Then they produce even-order harmonics rather than the odd-order harmonics that SS devices produce when over-driven.

Then why, to cite what I admit is probably a somewhat extreme example, would the CJ PV15 line stage preamplifier have a thd spec of 1%? And why would some older ARC power amp designs that I can recall have thd specs of 3% or so? I'm sure a little research would turn up a considerable number of other examples as well, of highly regarded tube designs that have highish thd numbers, when operated within rated limits.

Obviously I was not referring in my previous post to the major distortions that would result from overdriving or clipping. Any non-linearity that occurs within the normal operating range of a tube or other amplifying device will result in small amounts of distortion, that may be sonically significant, especially in low feedback designs. Distortion that I believe would likely be a significant factor in what is perceived to be the particular tube or the particular design's sonic "signature."

Regards,
-- Al