TUBE....Starting with Power or Preamp ?

I'm having difficulty with this, but thought I should add my comments anyway. The problem I see is that the EAD theater master is being used as a D/A and a pre-amp. It may also be used as a surround processor as well--I don't know if this is the case, but I gather that it is. To add a tube pre-amp is to add another device in the signal processing chain. This, at times, can be beneficial. For example, if you were using a turntable and didn't want your analog converted into digital (EAD converts everything to digital). You could also make the argument that EAD volume is in the digital domain and therefore cutting off bits of information. By using the EAD tape outs to the pre-amp you would preserve the digital data. And another concern is that if you are using the EAD as a surround processor, you would need a tube pre-amp with a bipass circuit for theater use. (It's true you could just have a calibrated point on the volume for the pre-amp, but that's not very convenient). There are not many tube pre-amps(none that I am aware of) that have this feature. I have read somewhere (might have been on audiogon) about a modification to a tube pre-amp to do just this. At any rate these things should be taken into consideration. So, if you don't change the pre-amp, what to do with the amp. Well, Sedond was right, it takes a lot of money to get a really good tube amp, particularly at power levels that you are used to. I don't know if you need all that power, but if you do, I don't think you will find something you will be happy with in the $500-800 range. So, my 2 cents is to take into consideration the caveats of a tube pre-amp with your system. If those are not a concern to you--that's the way to go--I also agree with Sedond's recommendation of a pre-amp. If not, wait until your budget allows you to buy more tube amp.