Paradisea owners

Thanks to all who responded.

That's encouraging to hear about the Audio Note kits. I like the DIY, NOS, and tube aspects. It's something to consider.

I've heard about the Monarchy NM-24, but never knew it could toggle between tube and SS. How do the modes compare to each other? I also have to wonder how it compares to the Paradisea, but I don't expect anyone to answer that for me.

The Wavelength looks interesting. I'll have to read up on it.

Tvad, can you please tell me the rule of thumb for the best impedance match? There must be an optimal ratio.

Thanks for your responses. My question was intentionally open-ended, but obviously a little too much. I'm just curious if there's anything worth checking out in the 1k price range that betters the Paradisea. I've been happy with mine, but can't help wonder what else is out there. What I've read about the PS Audio DLink interests me, but whether it's an improvement over the Paradisea is debatable. I'm sure it sounds different. I'm definitely into a relaxed natural sound. I realize the only way to know if I like something is to get it into my system, but I need some ideas to experiment with.

Tvad, can you briefly explain the impedance issue? The input of my preamp is 100k. The Paradisea output is 800 ohms.

Yep, this is where it all starts! Before I do anything crazy, I'd like to try some different tubes. I haven't used anything other than the stock JAN 5670. I'd also like to experiment with output caps (Obbligato Copper, Mundorf SIO). Generally speaking, I can keep myself amused and engaged with tweaks like this if the unit is good to begin with.

Is there a difference between a 5670 GE black plate and 5670 GE 5 Star? Which one do you prefer in the Paradisea?

Thanks Marco. I appreciate the info.