Please help me figure out what I need to do this. My head spins with tech talk..

I really do think tubes have to be somewhere in this chain for me..I remember when I first started out in search..I went through many solid state cdp’s that left either ho-hum or near agitation...then my Jolida JD100 had me thinking I was on the right path..then the BAT flew in and it was like puppy dog tail wags and rainbows...and a Beethoven symphony brought tears of joy..

Go with a DAC, the spinning stuff is probably what caused the 'died' as that's a mechanical contraption. Rip or get bits as source material - that's the source future anyway.

So many excellent DACs under a couple of grand. Easy to decide. Go simple and do all the sonic work in the preamp with shortest possible cables. Don't worry about tubes in the DAC, too much noise in there anyway... seriously you'll waste $$$.

Super-simple R2R vintage PHILIPs DACs still sound the best musically - if you need processing of formats, do that ahead of time in your computer.

The OP is using an integrated so in order to get tubes into a preamp stage she will need a completely new approach to what she already had.  Also, while I am a believer in streaming and do it 99% of the time, there still is a small performance difference between a streamer and a CD transport, where the transport just has more dynamics.  I've had several people confirm this and I've experienced it myself.

I can also guarantee you that besting that AMR with a transport + DAC for the same money will be an almost impossible feat.  Even streaming you have to have a good transport in front to make it work with some excellent cables in between.

audiothesis...

"Also, while I am a believer in streaming and do it 99% of the time, there still is a small performance difference between a streamer and a CD transport, where the transport just has more dynamics. I've had several people confirm this and I've experienced it myself"Are you saying that in actuality you think streaming  could be considered sonically less dynamic and therefore less musical?Is the whole advantage of going digital just relieving clutter?

That is my experience.  The margin is VERY slight but noticeable.  Over the years the delta has shrunk considerably and I imagine in a few more years it will be an even playing field in the majority of applications.  For me, even as a dealer where every bit counts, I find streaming to be a better fit as the convenience is off the charts.

Streaming provides such a seamless integration to your music and changes the entire way you listen.  Having TIDAL on tap has not only allowed me to experience all the music I love (Tool excluded since they are not on there), but it has also introduced me to so much more music that have become personal favorites.  TIDAL has become an integral tool for me as a listener and as a dealer.

Also for me, my personal collection of music does not sound as good as TIDAL, so there might be more to do to maximize this option that I am not doing.  However, for the intents of the first paragraph, the comparison was done with a CD transport vs. a streamer of the same brand/quality, same cables, and matched volume.  The streamer used TIDAL via ROON, not locally stored music.