Upgrade path direction

Well if you buy something  like  the Cary 98 it might  likely  sound worse as ot will not be a bottle neck and you will get to hear the horns in all there bright glory. A high end preamp is the heart of a high-end hi-fi. But remember  the problem with it is you are likely  not done spending  money.  Nothing more exciting  than lifting the value off a system that a mid or low level preamp puts on. The resolution will increase  big time. I auditioned that Cary years ago and it is a beauty.  

Regards

I am personally  a big believer  in a quality  preamplifier.  I started years ago with Rotella separates. Anyhow I bought a moon system  and for some reason the preamplifier  came in before  the amps. I switched out the Rotella preamplifier for the moon preamplifier  huge difference.  After the amps came in another huge difference  but the ore made a bigger difference  in resolution  than the amps  but the increase  in the amps was not small either. Along the upgrade path I decided  I should try a better preamp or hopefully  better than the p3 moon. I was at the dealer and in a week moment  there was an aragon  aurum  preamplifier  on the shelf I listened  to it and just bought ot and took it home. I could  hardly believe  how much better it was than the moon p3. Lol I bought the moon stuff ordered it in after calling moon and having  a big visit a couple times with the designer.  It was my pride and joy. Anyhow the real thing that switch  did for me was make me realize  how important  the preamplifier  was. After taking that used one home I decided  it was time to find a really good preamplifier.  That's when I auditioned the Cary and an Ayre k3. I liked them both but they were both a huge step up again  but I wanted a cross between the two. Awhile  later I was at the dealer and he showed me a two year old sure k1xe Ayre. I had him box it up and I took that home. A real step up once again not as big as in the past but I can  hardly  believe  how awful  the first Rotel I had was.  For a great system  the preamplifier  cannot be a bottle neck.  The Ayre  is dry sounding  compared to the Cary but the Ayre  is more detailed.  In my primary  system  I have solid state  with a tube based front end. Lol the Cary made me do that. I want some tube beauty. And in my second  system  I have a solid state front end and a tube power preamplifier.  

The best upgrade you can make for a basement system is buying a battery backup for your sump pump.

I can't recommend these but the articles I have read on the new JBL's and KLH are really interesting and thought provoking.  I want to audition them myself.

Which is priority, analog or digital? If analog I would replace the TT. Then the phonostage. I believe your digital components to be of relatively higher quality than your analog components. 

I believe the preamp and amp to be the best sound quality components within your system.

If you could get 'buy in" from the wife the other upgrade I would make (the1st one if analog is not a priority) is a change of speakers. The power of your amp will restrict your choice of speakers however.  Often a change in speakers begets a change in the amplifier.