Upgrade to McIntosh

I have a c2700-275 combo and its quite nice. I'd definitely move up to the c22 or c2700 over the c8 unless you really like that look.

dac2 board is quite good for the money as well. ARC in the dac 2 board is also very handy if you have a TV in the same room. the options on the c2700 make it the best preamp I've used for options and flexibility.

The 275 runs hot.

both need better tubes then the JJ's ( i believe they are JJ's) MAC supplies as OEM tubes not bad for new tubes but lacking in so many ways. almost every negative I've read above for the mac tube gear can be related to those tubes IMO.  

EH tubes are much better 

Mc 611 monos work very well with a tube preamp.  Monos a lot better due two separate power supply and more power.

@wolfgangamadeusaudiophiliac and @glennewdick

I swapped out the JJ tubes in my MC275s with Gold Lion and Mullard. Nice improvement all around, but especially in the mids range and bass. I changed the tubes in my C2700 with Telefuken and Mullard. Good improvement on the upper range with the Telefuken tube.

I demoed the MA325 prior to getting the C2700/MC275 combo. It’s a really good hybrid integrated amp. If you pair it with some decent high efficiency speakers you will not regret it unless you want the flexibility of separates. I listened to the MA325 with Cornwalls and it was a great setup.

No right or wrong answer on pairing Tube with SS or Tube with Tube. It all comes down to personal preference. I will say that adding subwoofers will also provide better bass than what you can get out of typical speakers.

@wolfgangamadeusaudiophiliac 

I stayed with a tube preamp (C2700) and SS power amp (MC462) setup when I upgraded to separates.  I'm very happy with the combo.  Best of both worlds.  The C2700 is a fantastic pre, IMO.  Regarding the MA352 - To be fair, I think it just wasn't a great match with my speakers.  It's a nice, solid unit, and most owners are very happy with it.  I definitely seem to be in the minority with my experience.