My stereo isn't doing it for me. Need advice

One thing no one has asked about so far is whether you have tried both of the output taps on the amp, and also whether you have tried the amp in both ultralinear and triode modes.

If you are presently using the 8 ohm taps, and haven't tried the 4 ohm taps, you should definitely do so. The impedance curve of your speakers, as shown in Figure 1 here, suggests that a fuller sound is likely to be realized with the 4 ohm taps (although using the 4 ohm taps with the X12 may reduce the amp's maximum power capability slightly, compared to the 8 ohm taps).

That is particularly true because the Dialogue Five is described as using zero feedback, which is suggestive of a relatively high output impedance, which will be highest on the 8 ohm taps and will interact significantly with the wide swing in speaker impedance that occurs between around 200 Hz and 1.5 kHz.

Whether you use UL or triode mode is also likely to make a significant difference. As would changing power tubes among the numerous kinds the amp can accept (EL-34, 6550, KT88, KT90, 6L6GC, KT66, 7581, EL37, etc.). As would changing the small signal tubes in both the amp and the preamp. I (and others here) have found with other power amps that the choice of small signal tubes can often make more of a difference than the choice of power tubes, and can often mean the difference between sound that is unacceptably thin, and rich, satisfying sound.

Good luck. Regards,
-- Al

"A budget CD player can sound damn fine, and anyone who has been in this game long enough can tell you that. Please give the pontificating about $3000 players a break. Dylanfan, ignore this "advice."

I have to agree. If you judge audio components by how much they cost, you'll have a train wreck. Its very common for a lower priced component to sound better than a more expensive one.

blaming a 500$ cd player is ludicrous. it is the room folks. beyond that the source is foremost. are they next generation cd's? redbook is very hard to get right unless the recording was primo, which many can be

I would do at least one full wall of auralex, preferably behind the listening seat. The key is to kill reflections and make your room acoustically bigger.
I had a room like that 12x11, with back fully treated, each side partially treated, center front wall treated, and two columns of foam (4ft tall/12" diameter) in the front wall corners... music was inaudible before treatment, and great after, with all sorts of big and small speakers.

"05-25-15: Veroman
blaming a 500$ cd player is ludicrous. it is the room folks. beyond that the source is foremost."

That might be true, but its still speculation. I could argue (successfully), that the problem may lie elsewhere. Unless someone has access to the OP's system and room, we can only guess as to what the problem is. Getting good sound is a hands on activity just for that reason.