Good tube preamp with Sony 5400


I am looking for a tube preamp for sony5400 running Focal 918s. I set my sights on the Doge 8 and looks like about a 2k investment with tube upgrades.
Is the Doge in the same coversation with the likes of Cary, Joule, or even Mcintosh C220?
I am looking to warm up a bit.
Would an extra $500 to $1000 investment make a big difference?
mcpherson
Chayro
I am not really good at all of the terms people tend to use in trying to explain their listening but here goes..

Going from a Marantz receiver to the Thor preamp put my system into another category. Really hard to pinpoint a single factor...because everything sounds better. My sound floor is at around step 2 out of 24, which makes for MUCH more enjoyable listening.

The midrange is super full of power as well as detail. Seperartion of instument instead of just a bunch of background jumbled up. I was really reaching to convince myself that my system sounded good before.haha I mean you have to go with what you have at the time.

I probably sound a little over the top but I REALLY feel like the Thor was a homerun. I dont even have any decent tubes in it yet.

I actually have a room of sound instead a lot of LOUD sound. I am sure there is plenty room to grow but I am grinning ear to ear right now. Mind you I am using a rebuilt H/K Citation 16 for amp. I thought before I was lacking power bc I would turn it up so loud trying to hear detail, to the point of clipping.NO GOOD!

I wish I had a better reference to compare how good this upgraded Thor is..I just know it is good.

Something else I noticed is that I really dont hear much difference between the cd/sacd playback on the Sony?? In a good way. Thanks for asking Jayson
Modwright tube output stage mod!

http://www.modwright.com/modifications/sony-xa5400es.php
Today I went to listen to Sonus Faber Cremonas.
They were hooked up through a processor as the pre and sounded less than stellar.
The whole time I was thinking "Man, Im glad I got that Thor preamp!"