@oldhvymec A tube buffer is what I originally wanted to try. I just haven't had much luck finding options. Black ice foz ss-x was all I could find which sounded like a good option but I don't really need the bass control, not a deal breaker though. Maybe I need to try different terminology. If I search "tube buffer" all I get are cheap e-bay or Amazon pc boards with a knob and tube. Not overly confident in what I've seen. I will look into the Decware option and see if that leads me to more options. Thank you!
@millercarbon You could not be more correct I do understand. But having acquired the components I have at the price I paid $.25 on the $1.00 (divorce sale). I didn't worry too much about everything being the perfect match or specs. In the end I was able to help a friend out and I ended up with fairly decent sound as a result. This is also why my budget is what it is. I really didn't want to spend more than I currently have invested just to satisfy my curiosity. Certainly a compromise or a few, but I was ok with that in this situation.
@millercarbon You could not be more correct I do understand. But having acquired the components I have at the price I paid $.25 on the $1.00 (divorce sale). I didn't worry too much about everything being the perfect match or specs. In the end I was able to help a friend out and I ended up with fairly decent sound as a result. This is also why my budget is what it is. I really didn't want to spend more than I currently have invested just to satisfy my curiosity. Certainly a compromise or a few, but I was ok with that in this situation.