Sorry Viggen, I too somehow got the idea your CA50 was a power-amp and not integrated. My bad. This has become a pretty lengthy thread so I guess I missed that detail. I still stand by everything else I've offered thus far, especially the idea that you'll make a more significant improvement changing your top-end than you will changing your amp. Also, take things said here, as well as on AudioAsylum with a grain...or rather a bag of salt! Again, personal preferences, your listening room and your system synergy is going to make all the difference, and only you are the best judge of all those factors together. But there is certainly much to be gained from paying attention to the experience of others in a broader sense. My ARC LS2B (GNS modified) sounds fabulous with the push/pull amps in my work system. But it sounds too analytical when combined with my SET amps in my home system - there I much prefer my Cary SLP-50A (which in turn does not sound as good in my work system). I'm going to contradict myself here, but the single BEST improvement I've made in over twenty years of this addiction we share, was going from SS to tubes. The most profound component improvement though, was in swapping out my digital top-end to a Muse transport/DAC combo (which is still giving me much pleasure even though it is outdated at this point). That is followed closely by moving from Pentode and push/pull tube amps, to 300B SET amps (Audio Nirvana for me!). This is why I encourage you not to give up the tubes so readily. You could probably spend less than a semester's of that tuition money on an all-in-one or transport/dac combo which will take your system to a whole other level of listening pleasure. I like the Muse gear, but there are many alternatives from the likes of BAT, Cary, Audio Aero, Audio Note as well as others....well, there's a whole other thread topic there!
