Considering moving to separates with a tube preamp-appreciate recommendations

Excellent insight and helpful suggestions all-thank you so much. The opportunity to learn from others in the hifi journey is a part of the hobby I really enjoy.

It is such an intriguing process to me. I am happy to learn here of bespoke audio companies I had not heard of previously. I also appreciate the thoughts of aiming a bit higher in my speaker choice and also to venerable brands like Audio Research and others.

Thank you all so very much for your generous informations sharing! 

Cary Audio SLP-05 and Parasound a21+

The SLP-05 is one of the best sounding preamps on the market and features a stand alone power supply box with low noise R-core transformer.  the main unit uses glorious sounding 6SN7 and tube rectification.  Spend the extra money for the heirloom preamp and buy a top value power amp in the Parasound a21+.  

Call me crazy (but I am not) because I like the sound of the a21+ more than the JC5 and Pass Labs XA30.8, both of which I owned.  

The a21+ is transparent, powerful, clean and dynamic and one of the best values in audio.  

@ronsbass - +1 on Linear Tube Audio Microzotl preamp. Mine arrived just yesterday, so I just starting using it 24 hours ago. 

That said, I've been blown away by how good it is. It absolutely up-leveled my system. It's a stellar product. Both LTA and Fern & Roby (who designed and manufacture the body) are fantastic American companies making products here in the USA. 

 

If you can, I'd audition a Moon 330A.  It's just under $5k and I think it's an amazing amplifier.  I was comparing it to McIntosh 462 and frankly it wasn't close.

I know it has been a couple months since the last comment in the thread so my thoughts may not be helpful as you may have made a move with new gear already, but I agree the Hegel H390 is not a soundstage champ and the reason I sold mine.  The quality of sound was good but everything sounded as though it was coming from the center between the speakers 90% of the time.  To experiment I used it in HT Bypass mode and connected a Parasound P7 preamp using the same DAC that was going into the Hegel and all of sudden my speakers (Monitor Audio PL200II) opened up in all directions and finally disappeared for the first time as they are relatively new.  There was some added treble harshness with the P7 in place but it proved the hegel has a pretty restricted soundstage on it's own and my Denafrips Pontus II 12th has a larger soundstage than the H390s internal DAC.

I auditioned the moon 330a yesterday and can confirm it has an incredible sound with a big expansive sound stage, but the 400m may be the way to go with more power and most likely an even larger and more defined soundstage.  Those series moon amps have high gain so match them with a low gain preamp like a Pass Labs XP12 and it may be a match in heaven!

Good luck on your gear journey.