Thanks for the reply. Yes, I agree with you about the resale value, since it is home built, it is impossible to find any reviews, and this is also one of the reason holding me back. I can go to do an audition, but it would be in his system, and it doesn't guarantee how it sound in my system. It seems a saver bet is to get a SS preamp like Rotel or NAD.
But you also think the RC 1070 + RB 1080 + CM 4 sounds a bit harsh, I think I will hold back for the Rotel since this is exactly the reason I sold my Adcom, and the Rotel is more expensive, so, it seems a bigger risk to take.