Hey Blindjim,
I have walked the path you're on. I started by vertically bi-amping Aerial 10t's with a pair of Classe CA-301's. Note that in this configuration I do not run the amps bridged. (I found by experiment that what I heard was true, bridging does take away the smoothness and detail.) This allowed me to run very short, 2 foot, speaker wire. A small step to getting more air around things.
Next I added a BAT VK50SE tubed pre. Another improvement in the 3D nature of the soundstage. Since then I have added/upgraded to Rhea tube phono stage and a VKD5SE CP player. More improvements in soundstage in the direction I want to go in.
Now I am considering what you inquired about. That is, is it better to bite the bullet and change out the speakers and amps or try to add tube amps to the tops? The Aerials are power hungry so it will take a very high dollar tube amp to get even close to the power they like if I just go to tube amps. Thing is I like the way SS handles the bass. But if I just add lower powered tube amps to the tops then as people have posted here it may cost almost as much by the time I buy the crossovers and other things.
This hobby is fun but not always easy!
I have walked the path you're on. I started by vertically bi-amping Aerial 10t's with a pair of Classe CA-301's. Note that in this configuration I do not run the amps bridged. (I found by experiment that what I heard was true, bridging does take away the smoothness and detail.) This allowed me to run very short, 2 foot, speaker wire. A small step to getting more air around things.
Next I added a BAT VK50SE tubed pre. Another improvement in the 3D nature of the soundstage. Since then I have added/upgraded to Rhea tube phono stage and a VKD5SE CP player. More improvements in soundstage in the direction I want to go in.
Now I am considering what you inquired about. That is, is it better to bite the bullet and change out the speakers and amps or try to add tube amps to the tops? The Aerials are power hungry so it will take a very high dollar tube amp to get even close to the power they like if I just go to tube amps. Thing is I like the way SS handles the bass. But if I just add lower powered tube amps to the tops then as people have posted here it may cost almost as much by the time I buy the crossovers and other things.
This hobby is fun but not always easy!