Should I get a new amp?

I have owned JM Labs , 926's .
While they will sound good with SS . Tubes will sound better in my opinion .

I started out , like you , with SS and kept looking for satisfaction . I didn't find it until I tried tubes . I am now all tubes and enjoying the music . I will never go back .

If I were you I would try a tubed integrated amp that is self/auto biasing . It will show you what tubes
are about , be very easy to operate and maintain and be more affordable than seperates . As mentioned above , the power supply makes a difference .

I would suggest a Primaluna Prologue 2 . It is within your budget , built well , self/auto biasing , able to use many different types of tubes and will be easy to sell if you want to . It does not have HT pass through but it is not that difficult to match the sound levels .

I've always said , if you want to see what tubes can do , then do tubes . If you go half way you will only get half of what tubes are about . I tried a tubed pre with a SS amp and it was not what I was seeking . Just my opinion .

Good luck .

Without looking up your speakers here is my opinion on the bass . My 926's only had 2 little 7inch drivers for the bass . I ran them with a 200w SS amp (300w@4ohms) in a 13ft.X26ft. room setup 11ft. from my listening position firing down the long walls. There was just no way to get any decent bass from those little drivers on their own . At that time I was listening mainly to classic rock music . A sub would be the only way to get good lower bass with them and I was not able to blend my sub well with the 926's .

What is the size of your listening room ?
What type of music do you listen to ?
How loud do you want to play those 1027's ?
These factors will be important in determing how big of an amp that you will need to drive your speakers .

Just my opinion .

Ok , try this get the Primaluna Prologue 2 advertised here for $950 . If you are still worried about the power thing you could also try some Speltz autoformers and zeros , again listed here for $450 . They should , if I understand them right , take care of the lower impedance dips . That would leave you with $100 for shipping and be with in your budget . The Prologue should be easy to sell if you don't like it . Don't know about the Speltz stuff .

Try bringing your speakers another 12 inches out from the wall behind them . If you loose some bass then put them back . Also try to put them on an equal lateral triangle ie. the same distance apart as the distance from your listening position . Toe them in so that , in your listening position , you can see equal amounts of the sides of each speaker . When mine were setup this way they had the best soundstage that I have ever witnessed . It actually seemed like some of the performers were behind the wall behind the speakers , some were outside the boundaries of the left and right speakers and some were at my feet . It all depended on the CD mixing and the accompaning equipment but not that hard to do just to see what happens .

It doesn't sound like that you need to run your system at high sound levels to enjoy your music .

But if it were me , I would just get the integrated and see what happens . If it doesn't work well then try your sub with it . If that doesn't work well either , you still will have gotten a taste of what tubes are like and can go from there . Just my 2 cents .

Good luck .

Fatgh0st ; if you do decide on the Primaluna , you can call Upscale Audio and tell them what you want to change about the sound of the amp ie. tube rolling . They know these amps very well and can both advise you what to do and sell the tubes that will accomplish the change . A nobrainer for phools like me ! So don't feel overwelmed by all of the choices listed here . It's really that easy , just buy what they suggest , take the old tubes out , insert the new tubes , turn the unit on and give the tubes about 10 - 15 hours of operation to settle in . Actually I was able to hear the difference right away . Tube rolling will allow you to get many differing sounds out of one amp ! Much cheaper/easier than changing out SS/chip amps .
And with self/auto biasing it is all just plug n play .

But be careful with which brand of amp that you purchase if you plan to tube roll , especially if you purchase new .
Some manufacturers will void the warranty if you roll 'any' tubes other than what is supplied with the amp as new and some will void the warranty if you use tubes purchased from anyone else than them ! And some require that you buy tubes that are a matched set , an added expense .

You will find two kinds of hobbiests here , tweakers and listeners . Guess which I am ?

Good luck .