Did you eliminate VTL's 2.5 and 5.5? I've been very happy with the 2.5 for many years with a McCormack amp. Lush and non fatiguing.
Seeking Suggestions on Preamp Upgrade (CJ, Aesthetix, EAR)
I have about $5,000 budget to upgrade a preamp. I am using Luxman 550 integrated as a preamp currently, it sounds a bit too lean to me. Rest of the system are Pass XA30.5, Dynaudio Contour 3.4, Marantz reference SACD. I am thinking CJ CT5/ET5, CJ ACT2, Aesthetix Calypiso, EAR 868, or Zesto Leto. Thank you very much!