Linn/Naim user seeks advice on tube pre/ss amp

I'll second what Dodgealum has to say about Audio Research replacing Naim gear. Although I still believe that Naim is better than most of what's out there, I also agree that Naim has priced itself into the stratosphere. I've never heard as much life from a Naim amp lesser than the NAP 500 that could compete with what I'm now getting from my ARC VS110. $24,000 is just insane money when considering the ARC costs $4500!

I used to think tubes are slow, especially on the power amp end. Listen to the newer stuff from BAT, McIntosh, and ARC and you'll be surprised how much PRaT you can get without sacrificing your high-end detail and soundstage.

Another option if you absolutely hate tubes is the under-rated and under-marketed Exposure line. I first moved from an CDX2+XPS2/82+Supercap2/250/SBL/Fraim system to an Apple iBook/Musical Fidelity A3.24 DAC through an Exposure 3010 integrated and some Totem Hawks and my wife and I instantly agreed: a big improvement in sound quality and musicality with no penalty in speed or dynamics. Oh yeah, over $10k in our pockets helped matters too.

My advice: go and hear some of the modern alternatives before making your decision. Luckily for me and you, Naim gear keeps its value very well and I was able to get off the upgrade-itis elevator without taking a loss.

Panderso said, "Seems to me you can only assess $24K components with reference to others in that stratosphere."

Why not? This is the whole point that a lot of us are saying about Naim - you can compare it to equipment that is a lot less expensive. Same goes with the Nait5, which I'd argue is at least matched in performance by the Sugden and Exposure amps for less money.