Good tube preamp with Sony 5400


I am looking for a tube preamp for sony5400 running Focal 918s. I set my sights on the Doge 8 and looks like about a 2k investment with tube upgrades.
Is the Doge in the same coversation with the likes of Cary, Joule, or even Mcintosh C220?
I am looking to warm up a bit.
Would an extra $500 to $1000 investment make a big difference?
mcpherson
Chayro
I am not really good at all of the terms people tend to use in trying to explain their listening but here goes..

Going from a Marantz receiver to the Thor preamp put my system into another category. Really hard to pinpoint a single factor...because everything sounds better. My sound floor is at around step 2 out of 24, which makes for MUCH more enjoyable listening.

The midrange is super full of power as well as detail. Seperartion of instument instead of just a bunch of background jumbled up. I was really reaching to convince myself that my system sounded good before.haha I mean you have to go with what you have at the time.

I probably sound a little over the top but I REALLY feel like the Thor was a homerun. I dont even have any decent tubes in it yet.

I actually have a room of sound instead a lot of LOUD sound. I am sure there is plenty room to grow but I am grinning ear to ear right now. Mind you I am using a rebuilt H/K Citation 16 for amp. I thought before I was lacking power bc I would turn it up so loud trying to hear detail, to the point of clipping.NO GOOD!

I wish I had a better reference to compare how good this upgraded Thor is..I just know it is good.

Something else I noticed is that I really dont hear much difference between the cd/sacd playback on the Sony?? In a good way. Thanks for asking Jayson
Modwright tube output stage mod!

http://www.modwright.com/modifications/sony-xa5400es.php
Today I went to listen to Sonus Faber Cremonas.
They were hooked up through a processor as the pre and sounded less than stellar.
The whole time I was thinking "Man, Im glad I got that Thor preamp!"
thor audio preamps with teds upgrade kills...what a improvement in sound!i am usually skeptical..but I have been to teds house when he lived both in ma. and ct. now in texas..most down to earth dealer in audio..he probably doesn't profit much in this business as he is to honest.He delivers..hope to meet thor man some day as we live 10 miles from each other and have an all thor system