I prefer to limit the number of places where my sound can be colored as much as tube rolling can do. Hence, with the tube pre (a fine choice there, by the way) you've got the key place to control your sound with tubes. I disagree with those who intimate that ss cannot deliver good sound - it can and does (I always thought highly of Bryston, by way of example). But it does reduce your sound tweaking options, a fact some find useful and others find restrictive.
So I can't give you a direct answer to your question, because I don't know what you want to do - is it part of the fun for you to fool around with your sound by tube rolling and cable swapping, or are you trying to obtain a specific sound from your system? For the former, go tube DAC or player, for the latter, go with the best SS you can find. By the way, what are you using for a CD source currently? Maybe you could up the budget on the DAC if you kept your current source (if it has reasonable digital out)?
chas
So I can't give you a direct answer to your question, because I don't know what you want to do - is it part of the fun for you to fool around with your sound by tube rolling and cable swapping, or are you trying to obtain a specific sound from your system? For the former, go tube DAC or player, for the latter, go with the best SS you can find. By the way, what are you using for a CD source currently? Maybe you could up the budget on the DAC if you kept your current source (if it has reasonable digital out)?
chas