Broke and still not happy

Xiekitchen, I don't know if you can get too clean. But you can have clean without involvement in my experience.

Dsiggia.... might be right. I have a Sonic Frontiers Line 2 preamp and I noticed that it's very picky on the tubes that you use. Try replacing the first 4 tubes with cheap match quads JAN-Philips 6922 from tubestore.com and a pair of 6H23n-EB for the rear.

I definitely second and third the suggestion to try different cables. I nearly took a pair of speakers back yesterday until I started changing interconnects. With the right combination, they went from sounding distant and uninvolving to being absolute keepers.

The tube amps will also warm up many systems. Most fellow lifetime musicians I know prefer them for their ability to reveal the humanity in the playing, for lack of a better term. There are no absolutes in audio, but I think the suggestion of getting a tube amp could be your ticket. It's just a matter of getting the type that is appropriate to the music you prefer--as in SET, push-pull, triode...

Have you listened without the vibrapods? With my CD player, they actually made the bottom end sound thuddy.
Don't give up. It can be very frustrating, but following up with the suggestions that people have made here will undoubtedly lead you to what you want.

Use a competent dealer. He will lead you to what works and what doesn't together. I'm lucky enough to have one but they are rare. Find someone that just sells the brands that he believes to be the best. Avoid dealers that are stuck selling specific brands.

Rob

I had AU24s on the speakers and Golden Cross interconnects,wasn"t bad ,but I think I like the Nirvana stuff better.Tried Cardas PCs, made the bass bloaty and slow so I settle for ESP Essence on amps,Nirvana analog on Pre and Top Gun Specials on the tranport & dac.I have Brimars in the Pre there suppose to be very musical.So I don"t know maybe its my source.Has anybody heard the North Star Design stuff?