new to tubes, match for spectral amp


I am thinking about picking up a tube preamp to give me a taste of that tubesound y'all are raving about. Actually I recently got to hear some ARC tube gear mated to my same speakers and i was impressed. I was thinking of just swapping out my spectral dmc 30 preamp.
The rest of the system
Eidolons speakers
Spectral 360 monoblocks
theta gen 5 a DAC and data basic II transport
MIT cables (ultralinear)

thanks
jdwek
Mixing and matching Spectral and ARC is fun!!! I have done
it for over 15 years. This was before they changed the input
impedence on their more recent amps(really stupid move).
Their best amp by far was the DMA-200(pure class A, none
of this class AB bullshit). The best ARC amp was the D-150
or the D-79(absolute bulletproof tube amp).Spectral's
signature is their preamps(more so than their amps). The
DMC-10,12,20,30,30SL, are sonically very similar, very
high rez, low grain/low noise, particularly in the highs.
Violins are not etched at all. The DMA-200 was a real
muscle amp(probably in response to Krell). High current,
very high rez, very neutral. Curiously everyone thinks
Spectral as "dry" I think in terms of being neutral and low noise. The current batch of amps DMA-150/360 are excellent
amps but a notch below the DMA-200. ARC had its peak in the
mid 80s with the SP 8/10/11 preamps and the D79/115/150/160/250 servo amps. Lately I have taken a liking to the Reference 2 preamp and the Reference 300 amp. Their best designs in years. My current collection includes an
ARC SP-6, SP-8, D-79, D-115, D-150. Spectral DMC-10, DMA-50(bridged), DMA-100(old-style Class A), DMA-200(class A). I mix and match all the time, every combo possible, some
work, some don't. Some observations: classical(chamber)SP8
and DMA100, classical(large scale) SP6 and DMA200; jazz
SP8 and DMA50s or DMC-10 and D150.

One note: perhaps it is not the tubes vs solid state
argument but the dynamic speaker vs nondynamic speaker argument that perplexes you. Perhaps you are a candidate to move upward in the world to the sublime nature of electrostatic speakers. Do not get me wrong Avalon speakers
are the best dynamic speaker I have ever heard, but just
not the best speaker. The Spectral might deserve better.
Right Shubert! The Spectral DOES deserve better!
Mixing spectrals with Jadis is fun too.
I agree with you about the 200 ! I run two of them, besides a pair of 360's.
Regards
I have an AR sl15 & spectral dma 200, with transparent cabling

it is nice but not a spectecular match

I uses the krell 250p before and it gave a far bigger, deeper soundstage, but a bit harsh

any suggestions? other cabling? krell 280p spectral preamp? from shubertmaniac I understand that i should keep the spectral dma 200....