Rethm speakers, bass amplification

"I always get sucked into the downsize/simplify mode, but then you have those magical music experiences where the system sounds so good and immersive that the experience is imprinted in your memory. And that's why I can never consistently downsize my rig."

I know exactly what you mean. Over the course of several years, I ride that wave up and down. I build out for several years, chasing a particular sound. And then I realize I've got a room full of equipment and can't remember what I was looking for. And all the cords and cables start to give me the heebie-jeebies, 

I'll keep you posted on my JL CR1 outcome.  Need to move some things around and possibly get some ic's to make this work.

I value a big soundstage with immediacy and dynamics.  The Bhaava's are all that with finesse and grunt all at once.  It's a meaty dynamic sound and I don't find myself tilting my listening towards any one genre or another which is always a sign to me that something is lacking.  

I always go back to SETs for the immediacy/palpability and high efficiency/horns for dynamics.  I think the CR1 with my Triode Labs 2A3 might do the trick. The 2A3 with the Vibe/Pulse really does that cool elasticity thing that you rarely hear. Right now, I'm also using a Kinki EX-M7.  The Kinki is really good.  I'll likely keep it just to have it in the quiver.  If I wanted uber simple with reference sound, I'd go Vega G2 direct into the Kinki.   I love tubes, but this combo gets dangerously close to a really good tubed amp, but with much better bass.  The Kinki has mondo resolution but never sounds etched or presenting things artificially.  Basically, the tonal balance seems dead-on and the leading edge isn't too exaggerated but the trailing notes last a long time.  I'm also using an EtherRegen into my Auralic which works wonders.

I'll keep you posted on things.  The good news is I know the sound I like and it hasn't changed too much over the years.  I've been at this since 2000 and have cycled through an ungodly amount of gear.  I always seem to migrate back to a core set of designers (Pass, Berning, Tom Evans to name a few) that always produce the sonic landscape I prefer.

This is also helpful. I don't plan to move away from tubes but I do try to look out for SS gear that can perform most like tubes -- if for some reason I had to go SS down the road. Heat, for example. 

Thanks, I'll be interested to hear how the JL CR1 works out. I've never tried an external crossover, nor have I daisy-chained the mains off a sub, because one of my greatest fears is signal degradation. Though I freely admit that that is at least partly irrational.