I applaud your interest in experimenting and trying new combinations. Clearly, what will work for you is a matter of taste.
I am NOT in any sort of Naim cult, although I currently own a CDS3, the only piece of Naim gear I have ever owned. As far as solid state equipment goes, I like certain Naim pieces I've heard, like the NAP 300 and the 252 linestage. I can't really say if they preserve timing and pace any better than competitive gear, but I do like the way they deliver the full harmonic palette of instruments without sounding overripe and soggy. Some other solid state amps I've heard and liked include the big Hovland amp and Ayre amps.
If the speakers you like are, as you say, power hogs, I think your approach of looking for a tube linestage to combine with a solid state amp makes sense. I personally find that most of the "magic" and charm of tube amplification is substantially diminished in high powered designs (I like low power triode tubes). I am not familiar with the Kabers, so I will not make any specific recommendations. In addition to any recommendation being system-dependant, tastes vary so widely. For example, the recommendation for the Audio Research setup would be the LAST thing I would recommend myself. I find their tube equipment, particularly linestages, to be dry, harmonically bleached and bright, more so than virtually any solid state gear of competent design. I cannot see how anyone who likes a CJ linestage would have any interest in the SP16, but, you should really see for yourself.
I am NOT in any sort of Naim cult, although I currently own a CDS3, the only piece of Naim gear I have ever owned. As far as solid state equipment goes, I like certain Naim pieces I've heard, like the NAP 300 and the 252 linestage. I can't really say if they preserve timing and pace any better than competitive gear, but I do like the way they deliver the full harmonic palette of instruments without sounding overripe and soggy. Some other solid state amps I've heard and liked include the big Hovland amp and Ayre amps.
If the speakers you like are, as you say, power hogs, I think your approach of looking for a tube linestage to combine with a solid state amp makes sense. I personally find that most of the "magic" and charm of tube amplification is substantially diminished in high powered designs (I like low power triode tubes). I am not familiar with the Kabers, so I will not make any specific recommendations. In addition to any recommendation being system-dependant, tastes vary so widely. For example, the recommendation for the Audio Research setup would be the LAST thing I would recommend myself. I find their tube equipment, particularly linestages, to be dry, harmonically bleached and bright, more so than virtually any solid state gear of competent design. I cannot see how anyone who likes a CJ linestage would have any interest in the SP16, but, you should really see for yourself.