$3000: upgrade Tyler Linbrooks or amplification?

Can you improve the 'sound' of the Tyler's? Absolutely, but they aren't that bad and unless you have some specific goal you can do a lot worse for more money. I had a problem, I had a goal, and I moved up successfully. But, when I bought the Tylers, my goal was more asthetics than anything else and the urge was to get something new. Frankly I succeded and failed. The Tylers looked better, but overall their predecessors sounded better. And the sound was more important to me.

IMHO, you need to develope some specific goals. Don't buy new amps if you think the Tylers are leaving. Don't buy new amps unless you have a problem with the Tylers you want to correct and you are reasonably confident you can do so. OR, if you plan to get new speakers (out of curiousity) then be prepared to get a new amp to compliment your new speakers. What you have may not work to your satisfaction.

And, if you just want to up-grade something, just to do something (which we all do sometimes), spend your money on sources and/or a pre-amp, tubes or SS depending on your inclinations, which could easily survive the ultimate purchase of new speakers and amps.

FWIW, I never buy new speakers without assuming first that I will be getting new synergistic amps as well. It always seems to work out that way.............:-)

Stltrains, I'll be looking forward to hearing about the D1's, especially since you will have the LLS' on hand for an A/B comparison. I suspect from the generalized description that Ty may have made a couple of important changes. They sure look better IMHO.

Stewie, For the sake of argument, IMHO if you have no reference to what 'better' means (to you) how will you ever know when to stop up-grading. There is always going to be something 'better' on the horizon even if in reality its only different.

IMHO, if I didn't make it clear, if you don't have a goal, how do you know when to stop? When you run out of money?

I'm always concerned for folks who ask for reccomendations for new speakers (or anything) but are unable to articulate what they don't enjoy about thier present speakers or their system. I've been there, done that, and never was really satisfied until I came to an honest assessment of what I wanted to hear, not what some one else said was what they loved, was SOTA, etc. Arriving at that stage it was much easier to read opinions and get some value, and sometimes direction, from them.

BTW, for those folks with defined audio expectations, and who have developed critical listening skills, I think I would disagree with you that the electronic's are not so important. IMHO, once you have found speakers that 'can' satisfy you in your room after they have been properly set up, the electronics are going can make or break real long term 'system' satisfaction.

A good analogy is, perhaps, represented by the fellow that auditions say your VSA's at a dealers or friends home. And thinks how magnificant they are. He get them home and is are disappointed. Why?

Well, assuming you have the same room, so to speak, and you have carefully set them up, guess what - its the electronics that are making the difference.

The speakers are what they are, and IMHO, it is often far easier to tune a high quality set of speakers with appropriate electronics, than it is to find a speaker that matches your electronics and gives you long term satisfaction.

But obviously that opinion is just the result of my experience. YMMV.