My bet Henry is that as Rives notes above, the problem is the room. Tubes will certainly make a difference in a system but I don't believe that the etchiness is an issue of the pre-amp but of the acoustic properties in your room, most likely too much reflective energy which can definitely retard an organic cohesive soundfield. I have personally been around on this issue. Often the most overlooked component in the system is the room simply because beyond a certain point, there are no compromises left to make but a better room. You might need professional help at this junction. I have heard the Kharma's albiet briefly and they sure didn't sound etchy to me and using similar components to yours.
Kharma 3.2 Owners, your thoughts...
I currently own a pair of the Kharma 3.2 Enigma Reference Speakers and after playing them for over 600 hours, they still sound etched and non-organic sounding. I also have new Kharma Grand-reference speaker cables with over 300 hours in them.
My amps are Lamm ML2, 2 years old.
Will these babies ever sing?
My amps are Lamm ML2, 2 years old.
Will these babies ever sing?