Pass labs upgrade path

I'd upgrade the pre. I'd go with the XP-22 and use the money that you would have spent on the XP-30 and get the best power cord you can afford for it.

You need to hear the .8 series amp. You can search for reviews to get a sense of what it does differently from the .5 series.

In any case, I think you'll yield more by upgrading your preamp.

I haven’t sprung for the Townsend platforms yet, but @millercarbon was definitely right about the Nobsound springs.

Big improvement under my speakers and they are crazy cheap.

 I’d prefer that no one tries to ban anyone with good advice.  It’s hard to come by.

Thanks, Doug. fyi, thousands back you up. Literally, thousands. That is how many visits I had when my site launched. 3.7 thousand, to be precise. Therefore fair to estimate hundreds if not thousands have benefited from this advice: Nobsound if on a budget, Townshend if top shelf. The hardest part about Nobsound, it is so hard to believe something so cheap really can be so good. (The hardest part about Townshend is they can be so much better even than that!) 

I would say you’ll get more out of a preamp upgrade. By the way the volume control on Bricasti is a lot better than I thought it would be when I tried it on my M3.
Just thought to mention it in case you need an interim preamp if you sell before you buy. 

@millercarbon 

   Welcome back.