Tube Neophyte

Thanks for all the help. I'm lucky enough to have a couple of retailers who will loan me units to audition. I liked the idea of bi-amping and may give that a try in the future.

Bright you say? Hummmm. May I suggest your equipment or connections are making this speaker sound bright to you! I've sold this speaker for some time and haven't had any bright experiences with it. Infact it seems a bit more laid back or mellow sounding than the N804s all things equal. However, if you want to do the Tube thing with em, and keep dynamics even stronger in the bass than before, you shoudl consider a modest tube amp for the top, and use a strong SS base amp on the bottom, and BI-AMP EM!!! I think this is unoquivocably the way to go with those speakers! Everything else sounds just plain dynamically weaker with em! The sound is way more powereful biamping these, yes! Fist try the tube amp for balance and tonality. Then if you like it with your speakers, add the SS amp on the bottom for slam and dynamics, and just biamp! This is my suggestion anyway.
For the money used, you could even try a modest little VTL amp, or something else that seems like bargain, and see if 'THE TUBE THING' is for you with those speakers! Then, you can fart around with different types of tube amps.
Have fun...BUT BIAMPING IS DEFINITELY THE WAY TO GO WITH THOSE SPEAKERS! Anyone who'e not biamping them is getting no where near dyanic tranparancy and pace with em that they should!
Have fun

Save some bucks if you want tubes go CJ pv 10b if you have vinyl or pv10 if not.

Try the Rogue. Go for a 66 to start. You can allways move up. You will spend up to 3K and not better this Pre Amp.