Audio Research VT100 MK1 and LS15 HELP!!!


I recently bought this set VT100MK1 and preamp LS15 and while I was at this seller house he demonstrated the sound from his online Tidal on TV connect optical to the DAC Luxman DA - 06 then this go to the preamp LS15 and out into the VT100. This set up sounds amazing at his house. However, when I came home play CD from the Sony X1100ES Blu-ray player RCA output into the LS15 and out to the VT100 and it sound horrible - no bass at all in any type of music.  The sound sometime muffle and not clear and most importantly the bass missing tremendously. Im using a pair of KEF R900 Speakers. What is wrong here? can anyone help me correct the sounds? it is because I didn’t have the Luxman DA - 06 DAC? or it is because I don’t have those fancy hundred - thousands of dollars cable?  or the CD source is playin at 41khz /16 bit not high enough signal?  

This is my first system and I don’t know why I can’t get that high fidelity sound from the ARC equipments.  I'm waiting for the Audioengine B1 to arrive so I can stream Spotify into the LS15.   What is wrong with my set up?  Thank you in advance for helping me solve this.
kentrent
@jea48 so i arranged the wires like you said as follow:

speakers neg ( - ) is connected to ( 0 ) common on the amp.
Pos ( + ) on the 8 ohm terminal on the amp. This resulted same bass but when I reversed the wire it like slightly increased bass.  Why is that? Just slightly not a lot.  I compared this sound to the Devialet Gold Phantom and the phantom has so much more bass.  
Where did the Gold Phantom come from? What kind of inputs does it have?

Can you repeat Jea's test but this time use the 4 ohm taps. The bass on your speakers is about 4 ohms.

I think you should test the tubes some more.  It doesn’t matter that they are new, they can still be broken. 
Are the VT100 SE jumpers in or out?  

FYI.  I have had a VT100 mkiii and LS25 for years.  And, I own the Luxman DA-06.  Output is twice + that of your Sony.

May be able to help.