If you've been chasing this 'sound' for 10-15 years and have not found it - your quest is about the chase not about ending it. My opinion is that you'll never find what you think you're looking for because your quest is not about satisfaction, it's about the quest.
Spend your money on tickets to live shows in decent halls. Pick the finest halls in the world, take the wife or a friend and enjoy live music in a proper setting. Go places you've never been, hear LIVE voices. Share the love, man. take home a memory, not another piece of gear you'll be looking to liquidate for pennies on the dollar in a few years.
I sat through Il Travatore last night in a mediocre hall with a slightly sub-par orchestra and it kicked the s#@t out of any stinkin' record. And best of all, I took the wife, we had a meal, we talked about how insanely complicated the plot was. Bottom line - I have something more than vinyl, or shellac, or tubes for the rest of my life to treasure.
Fear not, I love vinyl, and shellac and tubes, but they don't make the world go around. That's my two cents and worth every penny I assure you.